Among the Shadows
by Believing Is The Key 2.0
Summary: Tigerlily had been with Peter from the start until the darkness consumed him. After a series of events leaves her in the Enchanted Forest in the wake of the curse, she ends up in Storybrooke. This is her journey back to Neverland. To rescue Henry, save all realms, and bring light back to Pan's dark heart. But with greater forces at work, who is the true evil of Neverland?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Amongst the crystal blue waters that bordered the Enchanted Forest, a full rigged ship sailed into the night under the orders of the King. The vessel burst in activity as the crew prepared for an inevitable storm that would soon wash upon them. The clouds thickened and thunder bellowed throughout the deck. No spot of land could be seen through the fog.

The Captain of the ship, a burly mustached man by the name of William Bensley, fared the wheel as he commanded his men, " Batten down the hatches! Secure the cargo! Don't dilly dally Mason, don't act like I don't see those playing cards! And you-" A deluge violently shook the '_The Endeavor', _knocking the temperamental captain to the ground.

A younger man emerged from below deck and squabbled over to help the fallen captain. "Blimey! Are you alright sir?"

"Lieutenant Shore, what in the blazes are you standing around for? Help me up," His second in command complied and hauled, with much difficulty, his superior back to his feet, "What of the prisoner?"

"Nothing. The old loon is muttering nonsense as always. He says he's '_calling his friends'_ "

"This man is not a threat. He's just bluffin', trying to frighten ya. The King wants us to ensure his passage to the most fortified asylum in all the land,"

"But sir," Shore interrupted, "If he's not a threat then why are we, a naval vessel, have the task of transporting a manic across the seas."

"_Are you questioning the King?" _

"Why no, sir,"

"Good! Then we need to reef the sails or else we'll capsize or worse,"

"But sir, doesn't it occur to you in the slightest that this storm may be his doing. If he does have a connection to the other side-"

Cue the second round of waves. It showered the deck. A few men were slipping and sliding. Hans, the boatswain zipped from port to starboard in a matter of seconds. Captain Bensley spat out water before giving Shore a cold glare, "Lieutenant. There are two things that could have caused this storm: Mermaids and my mother on an off day," This made Shore laugh nervously. Rumor had it that Bensley had emerged from the darkest depths of the sea at birth. He claimed to have been born of the goddess of the sea herself, Ursula. He doubted it had any truth but he, like other skeptics, didn't dare to question the man.

"I'll see to him now, sir," With that, the Lieutenant made his way below decks. He passed by the crew members battening down the hatches as the Captain ordered. They closed every porthole and strapped in their cannons and crates. Everything was secured. He then made an impromptu stop to the cargo hold. His fingers shook when unlocking the door, mainly because of his uneasiness of a certain cargo.

The cargo hold was a small room, about a size of an outhouse. Since they were a military vessel, they normally wouldn't transport goods or people. Shore's eyes swept over the room, until stopping in the far corner where a chest sat. On top of taking the prisoner to the most unpleasant jail cell in the Realm, the King had ordered passage for this chest. He had also wished for extra security, but Captain Bensley never acted on this command. Both he and the Captain saw no need to be having men patrol the cargo hold for this one item. What was inside it that made someone as powerful as the King worried?

Lieutenant Shore inspected the chest. It was chained heavily with a padlock. Was it his imagination or did the chest shudder? He felt something sinister emanating from it. Slightly afraid, he rushed out of the cargo hold and marched to the brig where the prisoner was.

He relieved the guards from their duty as he checked on the man sitting in the cell. This man was well dressed for someone who had been on the 'King's Most Wanted' list. He didn't appear a scoundrel, but an aristocrat. A top hat perched lopsidedly on his head, masking his face but Shore detected a hint of a malicious smile. His hands were occupied, despite chained together. He shuffled playing cards, twisting and flipping them in the air that defied the laws of physics.

A card, an ace of spades, broke away from the deck and began floating in mid air, "Is this your card?" he laughed.

Shore maintained a solemn expression. The chest might have fazed him, but this man certainly didn't, despite all his 'magic', "I'm not here for a party trick, Facilier. I came to check on you,"

The man, Facilier, cocked his head to the side, "Checking if I hadn't escaped yet?"

" I don't see how you want to do that, _especially_ with a storm raging,"

"On the contrary Lieutenant has it occurred to you that's maybe why I would want to escape now? Just think," The man abruptly stood. He clapped his hands together and used gawdy gestures that of a phony magician, "The night roars with thunder and rain. The crew struggling to protect their beloved ship, too preoccupied if I may add. While they all scramble on deck, doing your bulky Captain's bidding the prisoner-the oh so clever prisoner- would breakout of this cell. Brilliant, if I do say so myself. Quite theatrical?"

"Flawed is what it is,"

"Why is it? Care to enlighten me?"

Shore sighed, "You know that once you're out, we'll know. You will be shot before you could reach the lifeboats. There's no way to escape without plunging into the ocean. So," Shore spat curtly, "I suggest you bide your time with your card tricks."

"These cards aren't regular playing cards,"

"I suppose they are _magic? _Must you remember Facilier, you're an imposter. I have seen real magic. It is more powerful than yours could ever be, " Once aboard, Facilier showed signs of needing an asylum. They stripped him of his belongings apart from the clothes on his back and the cards. Voodoo dolls and vials of mysterious substances were found. He claimed to have a connection with the world beyond, the world of the dead, "The only thing mystical about you is your appetite. I've never seen a man starve himself to only look healthy."

"Food doesn't fill me. Only the essence of the spirits can replenish me,"

"Spirits cannot be contacted, you fool!" Shore sighed. They weren't getting through to him. But what did it matter? The King didn't pay them to institute the man. Rain pelted against the sides of '_The Endeavor' _and the rocking grew violently, tossing a few items on the shelves onto the floor. He took a piece of rope hanging off a hook and tied it to the bars. He handed the other end to Facilier to hold onto when the ship rocks again, "Brace yourself. We've hit the storm's center,"

The Lieutenant made his way to exit but the prisoner had more to say. With a haunting whisper, Facilier pressed his face between the bars, "He's on board,"

Whirling around Shore asked, "Who?"

"The most powerful being in the world. One you should fear most definitely, " Facilier smiled giddily as if a mountain of gold formed underneath him, "The spirits told me he's onboard, in the cargo hold. You know he's here. You _feel _it."

This man must be delusional. There was no man in the cargo hold, Shore had been inside only moments ago and never snuffed out a stowaway. But then again, there was something off about the chained up chest in the hold. Could a man be inside? No, Shore convinced himself, with little air no man could survive in a confined space such as that.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you excuse me, I am needed above deck," With that, Lieutenant Shore tied another piece of rope to the bars and left for the deck.

Some time after, Facilier crouched into a kneeling position. His eyes closed, concentrating on establishing the connection with the _voice_.

"I am here, my lord," he muttered, "What must I do?" This voice began to contact Facilier during the start of his time aboard '_The Endeavor'. _Having done seances before, he was not afraid, much less unfazed by this. Though this voice was different from other spirits he has contacted. This voice was clear, whereas others were fuzzy. This voice gave him instructions, preparing for the right time to escape.

Energy swelled inside him and soon the voice replied.

_Free yourself_.

Facilier opened his eyes after being given his task and gripping on the other end of the rope, searched for something to use to escape. The room shuddered, toppling over a case of cannonballs. One by one they rolled between the bars.

His mind whirred with thoughts that were not his own. His fingers moved without his consent and he hastily reached for a cannonball. He had examined every section of the brig and concluded that the bars in the cell had eroded over the course of many decades. They were not as strong as they were used to. Thank the lucky stars the King had placed him on an older vessel. By this time, Facilier figured out what he was meant to do.

His callused hands cradled a cannonball before jamming it into the one of the bars. The sound of metal creaking came in response. He repeated this until the bar was so loose Facilier could pry it off, creating a gap large enough for him to walk through.

Facilier smiled to himself before adjusting his top hat. That was more like it.

_Quit fooling around_. _Go to the cargo hold. Find the chest. _

These short and curt commands were enough for the man to move briskly through the ship without a second thought Facilier had his experience with spirits before and had better sense than to disobey their orders . It was risky business, never knowing whether or not he would gain anything positive from interactions with forces beyond his control. But he struck countless deals with spirits and it posed no problems before… just as long as he did their bidding in exchange for power.

It was no problem accessing the cargo hold since no guards weren't present. He located the chest immediately and hauled it by the chains.

_Go to the quarter deck and escape on cockleboat. _

With his scrawny physique, it seemed impossible for him to lift it so he dragged it against the wooden floor. It screeched at the motion yet he pulled on, with the promise of power fueling his muscles.

"Oi! You!" Dropping the box suddenly, Facilier turned to see four navy soldiers standing in the doorway. Lieutenant Shor, in front, held him at swordpoint.

"I told you your escape plan was flawed."

"Is it?" Facilier latched onto the chest, refusing to move. The voodoo man braced himself for the guards to shackle him back to his cell but as they came forward, the soldiers stopped rigidly. Soon, their eyes glazed over and used zombie movements to step aside for Facilier to safely pass. Only Shore remained unaffected. It was an unbelievable sight. Facilier was more than sure that it had to be the work of his master. Shore still held his gun but shakily now. Witnessing what happened to his crew had him frightened.

"My lord, this one simply won't give up. Care to eliminate him?"

Suddenly, one of the soldiers raised his rifle and turned to face the lieutenant. The soldier wasn't aware of his actions, otherwise he would have reacted. His expression was impassive, even as the barrel was centimeters away from Shore's face.

"Thomas! Put down your weapon!" He desperately tried to ask his comrade to set the rifle down, "Right now or I'll have you thrown off the ship!"

Facilier pursed his lips before grinning maniacally, "An imposter, Lieutenant? I assure an imposter could not do this."

* * *

Captain Bensley heard a gunshot fired below decks. He sent his men down to scope out the scene but they never made it down the stairs. Blocking their path was Facilier, carrying the heavily chained chest. He pushed past the crew until he was on the quarterdeck. The Captain was stationed at the helm, opposite of the quarter deck. Realizing the prisoner had escaped his confinement, he was outraged.

"Facilier!" He tried to run towards him but slipped once more on the wet deck. The storm was still raging on. None of the crew members would dare capture Facilier. He was out of reach. If they took a step closer towards him rather than hang on to the rigging, they would surely die. They would let the man perish in the storm.

The voodoo man didn't waste time in boarding a cockleboat. He tossed the chest inside before cutting the rope which held the tiny boat to the '_Endeavor'_ with a stolen sword. The cockleboat zipped through the air before plummeting into the torrential waters. Facilier groped around his vessel until he found the oars. With circular motions, he rowed against the churning sea. The yelling and cursing from the King's naval crew grew faint as the cockleboat distanced itself from the ship.

"My lord, where shall we go?" Facilier shouted, not to the thin air anymore, but to the chest. His shoulders began to grow numb from rowing against the waves. From what he could gather from the situation, no land could be seen for miles, "We are in the middle of the ocean! We will not survive!"

_Row. Row until you reach the peak of death. Row until we become lost within the ocean. _

_Within the realm. _

_Within life. _

Facilier could not decipher the voice's meaning. Was he being tricked into death? He did not want to die knowing he had been deceived. "How? Where do we go?"

_To the place of the lost. _

"No cryptics! Answer me, where are you planning to take us?"

On the '_Endeavor'_, Captain Bensley saw the cockleboat disappear within the stormy haze, along with Facilier and the mysterious chest. He made no effort to launch a search party. By the looks of the weather, Bensley figured they wouldn't survive. And sure enough, the prisoner and the precious cargo were never seen again. Though haunting voice seemed to echo through the night, drowning out the torrent for a moment. Bensley didn't know what to make of it, neither did his crew. It spoke only a name. A name of place they knew all too well.

_Neverland_

**A/N: This starts off the story. It depicts who exactly to watch out for in the story. Who is the voice inside the chest? For those who have read Peter and the Starcatchers may be familiar with this character. But for those who haven't, all would be explained later on. **

.


	2. Tigerlily Lily Jacobs

Chapter 1 'Tigerlily/ Lily' 

Tigerlily was different.

The brave and beautiful princess of the Picaninny tribe was named after a flower, requested by her mother as one final wish before she died.

A Tigerlily was striking and could sorely stick out from a field of flowers. The name matched her the baby as well as her fate.

It had been thought by her tribe that she would stay a baby as many often do. The Picaninny tribe had mysteriously appeared on the magical Neverland one day and were surprised to discover how time stood still in their new home. The children stayed children, the adults never wrinkle, and the elderly remain at the peak of death. But one day, Tigerlily had opened her mouth and uttered her first words, drawing attention to her age. She was growing.

Days and years go by, the baby's face eventually lost its velvety touch and soon her legs found the ground then went from there. Her hair, ever so raven black, had lengthen itself to be tied into braids and her stature proved to be soon taller than the Chief. The villagers kept their distance, finding the ordeal strange- finding the Chief's daughter strange.

The child was different. Her first words were in English. It had taken 4 of the elders to translate the puzzling word, which surprisingly turned out to be "Bad". As she spoke more and more, it became clear to the Chief that English was her primary language, though often spoke to her in their native tongue to put her father at ease.

The Chief was determined to make a man out of his daughter. Being the only female successor didn't stop him from raising her as he would a son. She was brought along during the hunts and learned as much as a boy would, if not more. Her hunting skills were exemplary and her running speed was faster than any of the older men. She could sense a fairy's wings beat during a powerful rain and slay a mountain boar by the age of 7.

But with these traits, instead of earning respect and approval by her people, she was viewed as an omen of bad luck.

None of the children would want to play with her, thinking they could catch her "aging disease". The women worried that she would never find a husband for she was stronger, faster, and smarter than the men. The men didn't like to be outdone by their wives. They preferred petite, vulnerable women. And Tigerlily was neither of the two. Her broad shoulders and her bulk stature made it difficult to discern her from the boys.

Because of this, Tigerlily would often go trekk into the jungles alone.

Now in her 13th year, the young Indian princess could navigate the treacherous island blindfolded. The smells and the crunching of the leaves under her feet were all she needed. She was aware of the possible dangers that hid in the thick jungles and was careful enough to avoid the certain areas of the island:

_Mermaid Lagoon_- _East Shore_

_Skull Rock- Off the North Shore_

_Willow Forest- North of Nevermountains_

_Cannibal Cove- South of Nevermountains_

There was one place that was strictly off limits to all life on Neverland and that was Dark Hollow, the darkest part of the island.

Though this island was her home, Tigerlily was always on alert for there could be beasts, Shadows, and _him_ lurking about. The elders would often speak of the menace boy the fairies found on the island one day. He would set traps all around the island, mess with the week's hunt, and steal baskets and jugs from the village. Tigerlily had never seen him before but the elders dubbed him as the 'White Eagle', though she never knew why.

Today, Tigerlily was ordered by her father to lead a hunting party near the ravine. Upon hearing this, the young princess strapped her mother's bow to her back and assembled the men at the center of the village. After dishing out a word of precaution, Tigerlily led the hunting group south of the Indian campground before the sun came up.

Walking ahead of the men, Tigerlily could hear their muttered complaints about obeying a girl and the pace they're moving in.

'_She should use this energy to cook dinner. Not hunt it' _One man said to another. A stifled laugh didn't go unnoticed by the Chief's daughter.

After hearing this day after day, she grew immune to these types of comments. The men may say these things, but Tigerlily could detect fear in their eyes whenever she turned their way or singled a man out for not properly constructing the time, she let it slide because their quest for food was crucial during this time of year.

They arrived at the ravine not long after they left the village. It cut through the western part of the jungle, ending just before the beach in massive cliffs. Tigerlily had never taken the men down the ravine, it was far too dangerous though it was crawling with bountiful food. She wasn't taking any chances. She hoped that her group of hunters would be able to salvage something along the tops of the ravine.

"_You men circle the perimeter," _she commanded, dividing the men to their separate hunting group had set up traps the night prior so Tigerlily sent the rest of the men to their assigned traps, "_You check the traps near the river," _Tigerlily shooed them away before stalking off to monitor her traps. She preferred to work alone.

She carefully walked a little ways off from where the other men were sanctioned at. Spotting the area in which she had constructed a trap in, Tigerlily hurried to squat behind a bushel of plants. It was a stealthy business, trapping and hunting. Not for the impatient and the fidgety. One tiny movement could deter any approaching animal, ruining the hunt. The Chief's daughter didn't mind one bit, she could remain in the same position for weeks until she catches her prey. The net was concealed underneath a blanket of leaves. The slightest bit of pressure would activate the net, trapping the animal.

Her eyes locked onto her surroundings, searching for intimations indicating an animal's whereabouts. All was calm for the first hour of watching. Then all of the sudden, her ears picked up a rustling in front of her accompanied by thundering footsteps. Tigerlily witnessed a flash of green before standing up from her hiding spot, axe raised.

With a snap, the net shot up and captured the beast.

Tigerlily grinned, despite having witnessed numerous successful catchings in her life. But the satisfaction never got old. Holding her axe tightly, she tiptoed closer to the creature struggling against the ropes. She examined the creature. Its skin was clean of fur apart from a chestnut mop on its head. It was clothed in strange fabrics of the darkest green. Clawless appendages curled around the ropes. If this was a creature, then it was a strange one.

Then all of the sudden, it began to grunt. Soon after, Tigerlily heard noises emitting from the creature's mouth. Nonplused, she realized that it wasn't completely foreign to her.

"Let me out!" it demanded, "Please!" Tigerlily bit back a gasp. _English_. She was well accustomed it with it being her primary language. Although, she never had the chance to speak in tongue different from her tribe's. This was no creature but a boy.

"Who are you?" she managed to say. The boys eyes bore into her own. She detected a hint of aggravation rather than fear in his eyes. Either expression couldn't have surprised her in the slightest, both being the regular reaction the men of her village gave when she hunted.

Dismissing the question, the replied with another one, "Are you the one who set this trap?"

Tigerlily nodded, earning a reaction from the boy. He wiggled furiously underneath the ropes, "Then I'm sure you know how to free me- Tink!" His hands flew to his pockets, "Where is that little bugger when you need her?" She has never seen this boy around her village and she doubted he came from one nearby. His skin was pale in comparison to hers and his English was perfect. Different, this one was.

And Tink? As in Tinkerbell? Tigerlily knew the little green fairy. She had saved her from mermaids once. Tigerlily had yet to repay her.

Then it hit her. This boy was affiliated with the fairies, which meant…

"_You_," Spitting out the word with distaste, Tigerlily glowered over the thief, "You steal from my village."

Tigerlily was more than aware of the trouble this boy had caused for her tribe. This was the one responsible for causing the women in her village such grief. Having no other way to carry water to the village without the jugs, they were forced to make new ones. But those were eventually were stolen as well.

The men blamed the women for their incompetence. Tigerlily grew angry by this. This boy had contributed to degrading the value of the females in her tribe. And for that, he must be punished.

"No I haven't!" Denying it only infuriated Tigerlily but she masked it. It was something she would do to hide her true emotions. Showing her true emotions posed as a weakness in her eyes. She couldn't afford to have weaknesses.

"You are the thief," she stated again.

The boy stopped searching for his fairy friend to raise an eyebrow at the princess, "Whether or not I have stolen from a village, I don't think it's any place for a girl to be concerned with the crimes of the village," Then he grinned, look of recognition played his features, "Oh, I know you. You're the Chief's daughter aren't you?"

"Yes,"

"That's all you say, 'Yes'. Come on, let's expand your vocabulary. What's your name?"

"I do not owe you my name. You must be punished for your crimes,"

The grin faded and fear settled in, "Punished? Um..by how exactly?"

"Death," It may sound uncalled for, but Tigerlily would see to it. She was sure her father would not take this lightly for no one should steal from a Picaninny. Food was scarce and to have their supplies stolen was an immediate death sentence. Neverland could keep you from aging, but there were other ways to die. Like hunger for instance.

"What?" The light behavior was gone. Panic was evident in his voice. Clawing at the net, he begged Tigerlily for mercy, "No. Please. Princess, I'm not ready to die today,"

She winced at the title. She was no princess. For that comment, she was ready to leave the boy for dead, "Then you should not have stolen from me," Tigerlily turned to walk off in the direction of the hunting group.

"Wait! What if I help you hunt? I know where the jaguar habitat is!"

She stopped dead in her tracks. Jaguars were the most agile and fastest animals in the jungles of Neverland. To be able to catch one would bring great honor to her village. And with food running scarce due to the change of the seasons, the Picanniny tribe needed food more than ever. But the boy could be lying. Following the directions of a menace boy- one would be a fool to do so. She faced the boy again, "Where?"

"Not so fast," The boy pressed his face against the ropes, "I have a proposition. You let me down from here and I'll show you."

"No. You tell me where the habitat is and you remain here,"

"Quite fair you are. The _fairest_ of them all," He said wryly, "Let me talk to your father, we could work something out. Clean the firepit, pick the berries-service for a service,"

It was Tigerlily's turn to smirk, though her lips never formed to make the arrogant expression before. It was quite satisfying to have the upperhand, "He does not speak English. There is only one person in my tribe that can speak English,"

"Look, one last chance. Not just for me, but for your tribe too. If I die, so does the secret of abundant food. Enough to last months, maybe years!"

Tigerlily paused to think about it, "You could escape,"

"I will not escape. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die," He fingered an 'X' on his chest, a gesture odd to Tigerlily.

She looked intently into the boy's eyes. The green orbs were lit with mischief but apart from that, his expression was genuine.

She relented. If this boy could help her, then this could save her village. Tigerlily drew out her axe and chopped the line of rope carrying the net. The boy fell with a thud on the ground. He jumped to his feet and he peeled the remains of the net off. Now, Tigerlily could see that the boy was about a head taller than her and seemed to be her age, if not older.

"Yes! I'm free thanks to the cleverness of me," Tigerlily opened her mouth to remind him it was her he had to thank but thought better of it, "Now, let me introduce myself,"

Thrusting his hand for Tigerlily to shake, he gave a smile bright enough to light the darkest of night.

"I'm Peter. Peter Pan,"

* * *

Lily was different.

The poor and shy orphan from Storybrooke, Maine was different.

Her origins were unknown. It had been said that she had been dropped on the Sheriff's station doorstep but the memories of the people in Storybrooke could never stretch back that far into the past. Since there was no orphanage, Lily Jacobs was admitted into the foster system, which had been a long and difficult journey in itself. She never stayed in one house longer than a few months and would be sent back to the station for reasons unknown.

On top of her bleak disposition, Lily never received a proper education. Jumping from one foster home to another, she was never stayed long enough to be admitted into school. It was until the Tailors had taken her in. She was two grades behind her peers and still haven't mastered reading or writing. It was a surprise that she was continued to be schooled. Majority of the adults in Storybrooke viewed Lilly as a bad child. Rumors circulated of possible reasons of why her foster parents wouldn't want her. Some say that she was stealing from the parents, others said she was mentally ill and would often cry out at night from delusions.

These stories eventually reached the ears of her classmates. A few kids would bully her and cast her out from playground games and activities. She never had the strength to fight back. She didn't believe she could be strong enough or fast enough.

Today, Lily sat in the back of the classroom and tried to remain silent as her usual tormentors entered the classroom. She took their hurtful words though grew more tearful as they prodded on with their taunts and jeers. She found salvation in the ringing of the bell, all the children took their seats whilst she buried her head in her arms and sobbed silently.

A screeching of a chair followed the sound of the bell, and a comforting hand rested on the poor oprhan's shoulder. "Lily, are you okay?"

The said girl lifted her head up to see her only friend, Paige. Her beautiful brown hair was tied in a messy ponytail but still appeared more clean than Lily. Paige was the daughter of her current foster family, the Tailors. She was the only one in her class ever to be kind to Lily though they were on the opposite ends of the social system. Paige was in the popular crowd but never acted as rambunctious or as cruel as them.

Lily mumbled an "I'm fine," before their teacher, Miss Mary Margaret Blanchard walked into class. Paige left for her seat but still sent a concerned gaze Lily's way.

"Good morning class," Their teacher, Lily thought, was the nicest woman she had ever known. Miss Blanchard was never one to judge people or one to raise her voice. She was graceful in her movements and always had the class's attention, "We're going to do something different today. We will be working on birdhouses."

"Birdhouses?" Manny, one of Lily's bullies, asked, "Why are we making birdhouses again?"

Although Manny's tone made it clear he didn't want to build a birdhouse, Mary Margaret was patient with him. She smiled, "For one thing, the streets of this town look dreary and sad this time of year. I thought maybe a few birdhouses could brighten up the neighborhoods. And maybe, there would be some homeless birds that would sure appreciate shelter from the rain."

"We might as well build a birdhouse for Little Lily," A girl next to Paige snickered. A few laughs followed in suit. Mary Margaret frowned, "That's enough Allison, "She scolded, " Now sit tight while I do attendance,"

"Manny Alvarado...Darcy Blakely…" the teacher scanned the seating chart and checked off names as she went along. After a minute of this, she paused and her eyebrows furrowed together, "Henry...Has anybody seen Henry Mills?"

And as if on cue, the said boy came rushing into the classroom, "Sorry Miss Blanchard." he said as he made his way to his seat. Henry Mills was the adoptive son of the Mayor, Regina Mills who was by far the most unpleasant person to be around. She was feared by the citizens of Storybrooke which explained why Henry didn't have friends. He and Lily were in the same position. Both were orphans.

Mary Margaret understood and waved it off, "It's alright Henry. Just be on time from now on," Henry nodded.

Lily bit back the urge to groan. She had something against the mayor's son though he and her had alot in common. It was the fact that Henry had been the lucky one, the one who got adopted. Yet it wasn't enough for him, or so Lily thought.

Henry had arrived back on a little endeavor to find his birth mother, bringing the strange yet intriguing Emma Swan. Lily couldn't remember a time when someone new visited Storybrooke, it seemed as though Swan was the first. That was weeks ago. Since then Miss Swan became the town's new deputy police officer and established a setting with Miss Blanchard. Lily had yet to properly meet the woman. Sheriff Graham had visited her recently to check up on her, as he saw it was his responsibility to make sure Lily had a permanent home. She saw Miss Swan peering back at her from the passenger seat of the patrol car. They shared a glance, one that only a life of abandonment and sadness could describe. She had an uncanny feeling that this woman shared the same experiences.

_Apparently the Mayor wasn't enough for him_, Lily would grumble to herself. She thought of Henry as an ungrateful little boy, never fully appreciating what he had. The Mayor practically handed everything to her son on a silver platter.

The rest of the day went on, dull and boring as usual. Lily could not keep up with the curriculum, as always. The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Paige waved a goodbye, "See you at home." she said before joining her other friends. Soon, the classroom cleared out leaving only Lily and Miss Blanchard.

"Are you ready to go Lily?"

Miss Blanchard was given the strenuous task of tutoring Lily after school to help her catch up. The goal was to have her reading comprehension meet the state's standards before the end of the year. So far, Lily hadn't improved much since when she first began the tutoring sessions. Miss Blanchard, determined and understanding, would simply not give up on her.

The young orphan nodded before following her teacher out the door. They walked to the apartment where Miss Blanchard lived and once inside, they began the lessons. Lily stared blankly at the book that was placed in front of her. She could barely read the cover, having only deciphered the "The" and the "of".

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" Miss Blanchard clarified. It was a bit of children's book it seemed. Colorful illustrations filled majority of the pages and there were about three to five lines of words on each page, "It was one of my favorite stories growing up,"

She set a gentle hand on top of Lily's, "I know your childhood isn't the same as the other kids'. But fairytales...they're always a good start."

Lily wished she had a good start. She felt grateful to her teacher. None of her past tutors hadn't broken through the first barrier of the many walls she put up. Though she could never be too hopeful. One way or another, Miss Blanchard would leave her, as do many people. She slid her hand away from under Miss Blanchard's before reading the beginning of Snow White. The first few words were the only ones she could say consecutively. A phrase cemented into the hearts of children everywhere and was the easiest to understand.

"Once upon a time…"

**A/N: This is my first time writing in this archive. How am I doing so far? **

**I hope I made the difference between Tigerlily and Lily clear. Tigerlily is courageous, not afraid to stand up for herself and her beliefs. While Lily, on the other hand, is very shy and self conscious. **

**Don't forget to read and review! **


	3. Jaguar Hunt

Chapter 2 'Jaguar Hunt'

The moment she cut him loose, Tigerlily examined Peter Pan carefully. She never met any man who carried himself with confidence and buoyancy as he did. With a quick glance, she would have deemed him as weak for he was tall and lanky lacking a few muscles. She wouldn't underestimate him though. A scabbard hung from his waist, revealing he was not afraid to draw a weapon.

"If you have a dagger, then why didn't you cut yourself free?" she asked him once he fully recovered from the capture.

"It would have taken too long. I'm not much of a patient person really." Peter turned to face Tigerlily. Now under full lighting, she saw his face clearly. Pointed nose, ears slightly large for his head, but he was roguishly good looking. He neared her, not caring for personal space, "And besides, I wouldn't get the chance to do this."

In a split second he grabbed Tigerlily's head and held his dagger to her neck. Her back was pressed against his chest. She could feel his breath as he whispered into her ear, "It's nothing personal _princess_, but you have something I want."

Tigerlily growled at Peter who only gave a wicked grin in return. She wasn't afraid, only agitated. With the jaguar habitat forgotten, all Tigerlily's focus was on escaping. Her axe lay near the fallen net a few feet away, having dropped it upon the surprise attack. With her captor behind her, she couldn't retrieve her arrows. She tried prying the blade from under her chin, only resulting into cuts on her fingers. She could feel the blood dripping from where she held it. Weaponless, she maintained temperance. Just long enough until she found a way to break free.

"I do not have anything!" Peter forced her to the bark of a tree, dagger still pointed. Now a good distance from him, Tigerlily could reach for her arrows. She spat at his face to faze him for just a moment. In a fluid movement

she slid an arrow from her quiver and used it to knock the dagger from Peter's grip. She aimed for his neck but he blocked the arrow.

"My, my princess," Peter said wryly, "Someone needs to teach you how to be more ladylike."

Tigerlily saw him dive for his dagger and kicked it far out of reach. Then she punched him in the gut for good measure. Peter doubled over as she ran for her axe. By the time she turned, Peter was upright again. He was bent over slightly, one hand supporting his back and the other one clutching the dagger. This time Tigerlily was ready, her axe clutched tightly and reinforcement at bay.

"That was some punch," he commented, "You are stronger than you look."

Tigerlily wasn't having any of it. She had let her sympathy cloud her judgement about this boy "Attacking me is a great offense. Greater than stealing. Give me a reason not to kill you where you stand."

"Let's see," Peter rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, "I have remarkable qualities and it would be a shame if you were to deprive the world by killing me. And…" he brought out something from behind his back. Much to Tigerlily's shock, it was her mother's bow. Her fingers flew to her shoulder where it had been strapped on and felt its absence, "What use is an arrow without a bow?"

"Is that what you came wanted? A bow?" Tigerlily was planning her next move carefully. That bow was the only thing she had from her mother. And she intended to get it back. The two circled around, anticipating for an attack from the opposing party.

"Not just any bow. Yours,"

"Why?" As far as Tigerlily knew, her bow only held sentimental value. It wasn't worth threatening a princess over.

"You'll see, princess," Voices and impeding footsteps were heading in their direction. It must be the hunting party."_Over here!_" she shouted to them. The sound of leaves rustling made her face Peter again only to find him gone, along with her mother's bow.

* * *

It was 2 AM in the Tailor household when a scream broke through the night. Paige's eyes snapped open and she traipsed out of her bedroom and into the hallway, groggily yet concerned. She reached the door at the end of the hallway, by then her parents emerged from their room to join her.

Paige opened the door to a dark bedroom. She could hear someone taking ragged breaths as if a marathon has occurred. There might have been a hint of a whimper. She flipped the light on to find Lily fully awake, hair matted and cheeks stained with tears. The sheets and pillows were in a disarray, showing how the girl tossed and turned.

"Oh heavens," Mrs. Tailor crept towards the young girl. Where one would have been chased away by a child as troubled as she, Mr. and Mrs. Tailor were among the few who could tolerate this behavior. They understood the struggles Lily faced everyday and set out to help her.

Hopping onto the bed, Paige pulled her foster sister into a warm embrace, "It's alright. You're safe with us."

Instead of asking what the nightmare was about, Mr. Tailor took the liberty of retrieving a journal on top of the bedside table. He handed it to Lily along with a pen, "Draw what happened in your nightmare. We'll take you to Dr. Hopper's in the morning before school."

Studies have proven that one would forget 95% of their dreams after waking up. Writing down dreams within 10 minutes after waking would help preserve the events that occurred in them. But since Lily couldn't write, she was instructed to draw glimpses of her dreams by Dr. Hopper just recently.

She nodded. Immediately, she took the pen and journal to begin sketching. Paige peered over her foster sister's shoulder to see what she was drawing.

"Paige, shouldn't you be in bed?" Mrs. Tailor said before Paige could take a glimpse. Checking the alarm in Lily's room, Paige groaned. If she didn't have enough sleep then she was sure to take an impromptu slumber during class the next day. She made sure Lily was ok before bidding a goodnight.

On her way out, she heard Lily muttering to herself, "Him. It was him again."

* * *

At dusk, Tigerlily sneaked out of her village during dinnertime. After the hunting party discovered her with an axe in hand and a net cut, they assumed she ruined the hunt. Her father had scolded her, shaming her in the presence of the hunters. This only fueled her anger towards Peter. She chose not to tell her father about him. It would have been worse if they found out she had freed the menace instead of an animal.

Once she escaped the piercing stares from her father, Tigerlily was in the jungle tracking Peter's last whereabouts. She used the stars and a lit torch to guide her to the place she had last seen Peter. Thought the net had been hauled away, she recognized the footsteps embedded into the earth from their little skirmish earlier. She went straight for the tree where she was held at knife point. Her fingers traced the texture of the bark for any signs of someone to have climbed it. Peter must have climbed the tree that was the only explanation to his quick escape.

A twig snapped. She whirled in the direction of the sound and saw Peter emerge from the shadows. Under the light of the torch, his cocky demeanor casted an eerie shadow in his features. He grinned, "Hello _princess._Thought I'd find you here. Oh a flame, good. We'll need that where we're heading,"

"Heading where?" Peter pretended to not have heard her and proceeded to walk away, "You are not going anywhere until you tell me where you put my mother's bow," she hissed.

Peter halted. He sighed before turning serious for a moment, "When you freed me, we made a deal. My life for the location of the jaguars. I always keep my word. I'll take you to it."

"To the jaguars or the bow?"

"Both,"

"You took my bow just to give it back. Why?"

"I have my reasons,"

"I do not trust you,"

"I don't expect you to. But you need this. After failing the hunt today," Tigerlily didn't question how he knew. She kept her guard up, "This is a chance to redeem yourself. The jaguars are asleep, what better chance than to strike now?"

It seemed too good to be true. Her bow and the glory coming from what could be the greatest hunt in Picaninny history. Yet again, she felt persuaded by the boy's words. She complied.

"If this is a trick. I will kill you,"

The grin returned, "Understood. Come along then,"

Although he had arrived on the island weeks ago, he knew his way around. He navigated through the desolate jungle as well as she could. If was as if Peter has lived on Neverland for centuries.

Now as they trekked through the farthest parts of the jungle in silence, nearly close to Dark Hollow, she continued to size him up. Peter was distant, yet aware of his surroundings. He was cheery though was quaking in fear at the thought of death earlier. She made no conversation though this didn't hinder Peter from enjoying himself. Peter kept grinning throughout the trip, as if the trees shared a funny joke. It unnerved her how he wasn't taking this mission seriously. Like she was.

After an hour of silence Peter began to talk about, what Tigerlily would learn later to be his favorite topic, himself. He spoke of how he came to Neverland, which only drew more questions than answers for Tigerlily. Visitors were expected on Neverland, but no one had ever stayed. During the day, the island was filled with laughing children, who came to Neverland through their dreams. They would play for an hour or so before returning to their state of consciousness. Her tribe tended to stay clear of these children. If they found out people live on the island, they would want to find a way to stay. Frankly, the Picaninny and the fairies weren't too keen on sharing the island's magic.

"I was on a ship," he narrated, "Don't remember why though. We got caught in a storm, breaks the whole boat in half!" He mimicked the noise of waves crashing then the splitting of wood which sounded the same in Tigerlily's opinion.

"Well... I survived that. The fairies found me lying on the beach the morning after and healed me. I guess they liked me so much that they wanted to keep me. I mean, who wouldn't like me right?"

She snorted at that and walked ahead. Clearly this conversation wasn't the worth the time.

"They have too many rules in my opinion. '_Don't eat this', 'Don't go there', 'Always bring Tink with you,'_ Honestly, they are mothering me. And you know mothers-"

"No," Tigerlily cut him off. They stopped walking and were now in front of a path blocked by overgrown plants.

"I'm sorry?

"I do not know about mothers," At the mention of her mother, she shivered and reached for the bow. Remembering it wasn't there anymore, an ominous cold settled in. She believed that bow had been protection against the Shadows. They may be watching her right now. With this in mind, Tigerlily took out her axe and hacked her way through the plants. Peter followed close behind a bit too close for her liking. His breath tickled the back of her neck.

"You don't have a mother do you?" he assumed. He took her silence as a 'yes', "Don't feel bad. Neither do I."

The path was soon free from plants and they walked on until Peter spotted something about 30 feet away from them, "There it is!"

The cave loomed over in the distance. Already, Tigerlily could spot the unmistakable figure of the jaguar, arm draped over its eyes to block the sun as it slept.

"One jaguar?"

"There's plenty more inside. You can find your bow inside as well," Peter said. He pulled Tigerlily along, dismissing any concern for safety. His feet kept brushing against the thick undergrowth, creating a rustling sound. The princess tugged the boy forcibly aside before he could doom them both. She pressed a finger against his lips, "Be quiet. You will get us killed," she hissed.

Peter scoffed, crossing his arms, "It's difficult to maintain stealth in this," he gestured to the ground overgrown with gnarled roots and branches as well as thorny plants. His foot was about to step over a batch of gnarled thorns when he was suddenly pulled back by his shirt collar.

"Do not touch that. It is poison plant, Dreamshade. You will die within days if you touch it,"

"Yeah...I knew that," The expression on Peter's face told Tigerlily he didn't, "I wasn't going to touch it anyway, " Peter shot back. How stubborn, Tigerlily thought.

It baffled her why she didn't warned him. He had shown her the jaguars and was no longer needed. It was an opportune time to kill him for his crimes. Let the poison serve its purpose. But he was a boy. An ignorant boy. Maybe what he needed was someone to teach him manners.

Realizing his futile attempts, Peter turned to Tigerlily, "If you think you can get across quietly, then be my guest,"

Tigerlily accepted the challenge. She could navigate through terrains such as this. Child's play. She hopped onto a patch of ground untouched by the branches. With great catlike agility, she bounded from one empty patch to another, occasionally having to brush a few thorny roots away with the tip of her axe or landing on the tips of her toes in the narrowest of places.

Within seconds, Tigerlily arrived on the other side. She was only a few feet away from the mouth of the jaguar cave. The pungent odor filled her senses. There _were_ many jaguars inside. That strong of a scent could not have come from just one.

She whirled around to retrieve her companion, only to collide into the boy himself. He cradled her in his arms to stop them from falling into the undergrowth.

"Keep balance, princess," he breathed into her ear, cheekily, "You were doing so well before,"

"How did you get across?"

"Oh I have ways, miss..?"

"I will not tell you my name," She drew out her axe and proceeded to go inside the cave.

"Why not? I asked for a name not a hand in marriage,"

"Let's just get this done," She stalks off but Peter suddenly grabbed her wrist, "I'll go first. You know, to protect you. What would the world be if a gentleman lets a lady," he scanned her over, " or you in this case, walk towards certain death?"

Tigerlily restrained from lunging at him. In the short time they knew each other, he already knew how to infuriate her in every way possible. But there was one thing she loathed and it was chivalry. Other girls may not mind, but Tigerlily does. She wasn't weak. "I can take care of myself." she affirmed before tearing her arm from Peter's grip and tiptoeing into the dark cave.

Once inside, she felt the breaths of a hundred jaguars reverberating off the walls. She crept deeper inside with Peter trailing soundlessly behind.

The cave was small, so it didn't take long to reach the dead end. By that time, Tigerlily counted more than 30 jaguars. That could feed her tribe for months. But how to execute this was an issue. It was too late to bring the hunting party. It would have been too risky anyway. The jaguars would overpower them. And killing them in their sleep only guaranteed one body. The smell of spilled blood would surely bring the jaguars from the slumber to avenge their fallen.

As Tigerlily mulled the situation over in her head, Peter had drawn out his dagger and made his way to one of the snoozing jaguars, doing exactly what Tigerlily didn't want to do. She rushed to his side and gripped his wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking my share, _princess_," he enunciated her title with an arch of an eyebrow, "This bounty shouldn't be all yours. Sharing is caring after all." He raised the dagger only to be stopped by Tigerlily's strong hold. She felt his muscles rippling to counteract her strength and for once in Tigerlily's life, she might have met her match. Peter overpowered her, breaking her grip.

"Asleep or awake, it will make a sound,"

"Be sure to muffle the sounds with your hands, then," Tigerlily tried to stop him again. This time, she went for the dagger hilt. Peter tugged it back, creating a test of strength, "Give it back!"

"No, you stupid boy," Then Tigerlily heaved with more force than needed. The dagger fell out both her and Peter's grips. She hit the side of the cave while Peter landed on the ground. If that didn't create much noise, to top it off, the dagger skittered onto the floor. This accumulated into a loud crash that echoed the walls of the cave.

The two waited in baited breath as the sound faded into silence, though the remnants still rang in their ears. Then they heard a growl. A growl that multiplied to sound out the rapid beating of Tigerlily's heart. The cave was stirred with life. The jaguar that Peter had targeted rose from its resting place and now greeted the humans with its hungry eyes.

* * *

The next morning, Sheriff Graham Humbert was scrolling through paperwork at the station when he heard Lily enter. He glanced up from his work and sighed at the sight of the young girl, "Lily, this is a surprise." Although his tone was cheery, he could feel the migraine coming on. Graham had been the one who discovered Lily on his doorstep when she was a baby. He spent every moment since then trying to find a proper home for the girl. It was a strenuous task, ending up with mountains of paperwork. He did his best to look out for her but something always happened.

"Are the Tailors treating you alright? If not then I'll-"

"No," Lily knew she put the Sheriff's mind at ease by saying this. They've been...nice," The Tailors were the first to really help her.

"Do you see a possible future with them then?" Graham asked, hopeful. Hopeful not for the decrease paperwork but to finally give a home to Lily, "A possible adoption?"

"I can't be too hopeful,"

Graham frowned at those words. It was not how a young girl should be talking. He cleared his throat to change the subject, "So what brings you down here?"

Lily bit her lip, something she did out of nervous habit. Coming to the station was already too much of a gamble. She just left Dr. Hopper's minutes before after having a session concerning her nightmares. The session went nowhere. Dr. Hopper couldn't bring himself to decipher the meaning behind them. Lily thought the Sheriff might have an insight on a specific aspect of her nightmares.

"I need your help," She rummaged through her backpack for her dream journal. She flipped it to the most recent page and place it in front of Graham, "As you know, I keep getting nightmares. Every night," Her eyes had a faraway look on them, remembering something painful, "Mostly the same things."

Graham looked at the journal and didn't know what to make of it. The first page depicted a scene in what seemed to be a jungle. The next one was of several small figures surrounding a firepit, one figure bigger than the rest. Turning the page, it showed a close up on the larger figure from the waist up. It was boy in a cloak and a pan pipe in his hands. His elfish features were contorted into an evil grin crossed with a smirk. This picture sent a chill up Graham's spine. Never before he was rendered to fear by a glaring boy.

The Sheriff composed himself before asking more questions, "Why have you come to me? This is something in Dr. Hopper's field."

"I thought you could help me find this boy. He is in most of my nightmares. I felt as if I met him before. But I just can't seem..."

"Lily," Graham interrupted, "This boy may not be real."

"But Dr. Hopper said the people in your dreams are people you have seen at some point in your life!" Lily argued, "I have never set foot off Storybrooke so I think he is here. Please, find him,"

"Lily," Graham took the girl by the shoulders and knelt down to eye level, "If this boy is the cause of your nightmares, then I reckon that is a bad thing. You must have had a bad experience with."

"But I want to know," she cried indignantly. She wriggled away from the Sheriff's hold before snatching up her journal. He didn't understand, Lily thought to herself. There is this gaping hole inside her. This boy could clue her in to what she is missing, "I'm late for school. I'll be going now." She headed for the door.

"No, wait!" Lily whirled around. Graham ran a hand through his hair, "I'll see what I could do. But you might not like what I find."

"But at least you found something and that's all I could ever ask. Thank you," She ran up to give him a hug, something she never done in all the years she knew him. He pat her head comfortingly.

"Anytime, Lily. Now go before you're late!" She smiled before rushing out of the station, finally knowing she may be going somewhere in this investigation into her past.

Unknown to Lily at the time, this would be the last conversation she has with Graham.

* * *

Peter jumped to his feet and reacted quickly. Snatching his dagger off the ground, he darted for the entrance. Tigerlily picked up her axe and followed in suit. A couple of jaguars pounced but she swatted them away with a swing of her axe, forgetting about her bow that may still be hidden in the cave. She barreled through the mass with only her warrior spirit as her asset. She emerged from the cave with several claw marks and jaguar slobber.

By the time she and Peter escaped, the whole pride was in on the action. They were in hot pursuit of the two. Peter had managed to remain unscathed until a jaguar pulled in too close, having clawed his back. His shirt was now in tatters, revealing a rather nasty scratch. It looked painful but Peter didn't show it. He continued to run along with Tigerlily.

They were able to lose some of them near the thorns. Peter and Tigerlily swerved around the patch but some couldn't turn fast enough. About five were ensnared in dreamshade.

The jaguars were known to be creatures of speed but Peter and Tigerlily managed to outrun them all but just a tad. At the rate she and Peter were going, they covered enough area that would have been an hour long journey at walking speed. Tigerlily couldn't spare a glance behind her as she blurred by the trees. She felt them inches away, snapping at her braids flowing in the wind.

"How many are behind us?" she found enough breath to ask Peter.

"Less than 20. I bet 15," They hopped over a log which marked a checkpoint. Tigerlily recognized this area as one of the many places she set traps in.. As if Peter heard her thoughts, he exclaimed, "The traps!"

They shared the same idea. A first. "Lead the jaguars to the nets?" he suggested.

"The traps are everywhere on the ravine top," Tigerlily warned, "Trigger them. Don't get caught,"

"Easy," And without having to speak, the two split up to take on east and west. She found one trap and leaped over the hidden net. The moment their paws touched the rigged ground, the net snapped up to trap the jaguars. Tigerlily tricked the pride with several more successful traps. She reminded herself to thank her hunting party for making such clever ways to capture hunt.

Minutes later, only one jaguar remained. It was bigger than the rest, most likely the leader. Its eyes were locked onto Tigerlily and continued to chase her. Though she was quite fast, her endurance was depleting. It wouldn't be long until she gave out.

"Princess!" She turned her head to see Peter. Their paths merged and the two were reunited. She saw he managed to lose all of his jaguars, "This one would not give up!" he howled in amusement.

"You are happy with this?" Indeed the young boy was thrilled to be hunted down by carnivorous beast that could catch up with him soon.

"The adrenaline! Do you feel the wind brushing your cheeks? The bubbling feeling deep in your gut? The one that rises up in your body, only to be let out with a shout of joy. Yes. I never felt so alive when being so close to death. Don't you agree?"

Tigerlily did. She knew exactly how Peter felt. Women in her village were only limited to tending to their children and the food, cooking and do their husband's bidding. She could never be satisfied with that life. Now, on the verge of being eaten by a jaguar, Tigerlily wouldn't want to die any other way. It was exhilarating. Thoughts of submitting to death were flushed out of her, replaced with the need for more adventures. She had to live.

"Quick! Hop onto the tree!" Peter's voice broke through her thoughts. A big oak tree was a few feet away. Its branches would be a perfect sanctuary for it was too high for the jaguar to jump for. They both clambered onto the bark. Tigerlily was ahead. She reached for a branch when she heard Peter yell. Peering down, she saw the jaguar have a hold on Peter's leg. With quick thinking, Tigerlily bashed the jaguar's head with the butt of her axe. Peter was set free and they scaled the tree.

"Be faster," she said catching her breath. Peter nodded, forgetting that a good thank you was in order. They rested for a couple of minutes until Peter noticed something was off. He shushed Tigerlily in the way she quieted him earlier, his finger to her lips. His ear cocked to pick up any of the jaguars growls but all it heard was their heavy breathing and the sound of water trickling in the waterfall nearby. Tigerlily looked down to see the body of the jaguar resting on the ground.

"I think it's dead," he said. The force from Tigerlily's blow must have damaged the skull. Cautiously, he descended from the tree to confirm his suspicions.

Peter neared the cadaver slowly. He broke off a branch and began pricking and prodding the jaguar. After not having moved, it was deemed dead, "You smashed her pretty hard!" he called to Tigerlily, still in the tree. She was about to climb down when a purr reached her ears.

"Peter, look out!"

The jaguar slowly rose to its feet, blinking away unconsciousness. Its green eyes locked onto Peter's. Its cat like features were fixed into a snarl. It was gearing up for a charge. It rammed at Peter at full speed. Tigerlily shut her eyes, thinking it was already too late. The tree shuddered upon the collision, nearly shaking Tigerlily off the branches. She didn't hear a cry or scream coming from Peter, making her wonder. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a spectacular sight.

Peter was staring back at her. This was quite odd considering he was on the ground seconds ago and now at eye level with her. She saw that the boy floating in the air. He was _flying_.

He had shot up just in time. The jaguar continued its path and struck the oak tree with a sickening crack. Now its skull was really broken. It dropped dead below them. Tigerlily's eyes widened with shock and disbelief. As far she could tell, Peter had no pixie dust on him. How could he fly?But at the same, it made sense. It explained his quick escapes and how he was able to cross the patch of Dreamshade the second time.

She climbed down from the tree and Peter returned to the earth. He arched an eyebrow, "Oh princess, don't act like you've never seen a boy fly before,"

**A/N: Wow, the response to this story is incredible. I'm glad you guys like the story and your favorites/follows and positive reviews would push me to make this a good story that is different from the rest of the Peter/OC (sorta) fanfics out there. **

**I know Peter seems a bit OOC in the last chapter. But to quote Regina, "I've always believed that evil wasn't born, it's made" The Regina before death of Daniel isn't the same as the Regina we know today. So shouldn't it make sense if Peter Pan had started out a bit innocent? Well in this chapter it shows him more of what we see in him on the show. **


	4. Partners in Crime

Chapter 3 'Partners in Crime'

A sneaker collided against her stomach, making Lily grunting in pain. She bit her lip to stop from screaming. If she made a sound, the patrons of Granny's diner would hear her suffering and that wouldn't mix well with her attackers. This wouldn't have happened under Graham's supervision.

The beloved Sheriff's death had taken a toll on the town. It had been weeks since she last saw him. How something like this could happen to a perfectly healthy man...it didn't make sense. The hospital said it was heart failure, though she couldn't help suspecting it as a lie.

His heart just stopped. Out of the blue.

Nobody cried as much as Lily did during the funeral. Not even the newly deemed Sheriff Swan, who had been present during Graham's final moments, shed a tear. Lily never knew how much Graham meant to her. He was there to guide her throughout her life.

And now he was gone.

Without the sheriff's protection, Lily's bullying worsened. Her regular tormentors, Allison and Manny cornered her one day after school along with a few of their friends. She was caught off guard when they tore her backpack off and took turns stomping on it. Manny and another boy held her arms so she couldn't stop them. These kids were younger than her. She could have done something. But over the years, she knew fighting back was useless. She didn't have the strength, emotionally and physically.

Now back to today, behind Granny's, Lily had wrapped up tutoring at Miss Blanchard's and was walking home on a Saturday afternoon when she was ambushed. She saw the short yet brawny figure of 11-year-old Manny Alvarado crumple the back of her jacket in his fists before dragging into her an alley where her bullies gathered. She could spot Allison and her cackle of friends off to the side, cheering on her attackers and occasionally laughing at her torment. Some of the bullies were kids from her age group, the ones she was supposed to be in school with- high schoolers.

No words were exchanged. Only fists and kicks. They stripped her of her backpack. The girls dumped out the contents and rummaged through it. The boys did the more physical damage. Lily didn't want to dwell on the details. It felt interminable in eyes but it only took a few minutes. The kids had better things to do on their Saturdays and were quite satisfied in the damage they caused.

Lily leaned against the dumpster. Her eyesight turned against her, blurring everything in front of her. She yearned for someone to come and help her. No one did. She tugged her sleeve and gasped at the markings her bullies left behind. The skin running along her arm was discolored with an unpleasant shade of purple. A line of blood trickled from her cracked lips and her head still rattled from the impact of the dumpster.

Her voice had been ripped out of her. She strained to call for somebody but her words reflected how she felt. Broken. She didn't have the strength to move. She didn't have hope. The pounding in her head only worsened when she continued to lay there. Her eyes drooped and her breathing slowed. The last few seconds before succumbing to the darkness, a faceless stranger called out to her.

* * *

Later that night, slightly edging towards dawn, the Picaninny awoke to the shouting and something being dragged along the dirt. The Chief pulled away the folds of his tent upon hearing the women and children cheering and singing. Red Panther, Tigerlily's uncle, hurried through the village to inform the Chief of amazing news. Once the words 'jaguar' and 'capture' reached his ears, he parted the crowd of villagers surrounding the heroes of this glorious achievement. There before him was an unforgettable sight : Tigerlily and Peter stationed in the center and on their backs, the carcass of the mighty jaguar.

The men relieved the two of their burden by carrying the jaguar to the firepit and Tigerlily was free to tell her father the whole story. She straightened her posture and spoke excitedly as she told it. Peter had never seen her like this before. Her eyes danced with life when she explained the clever idea to catch the jaguars by triggering the traps, hands moving to vamp up the tale. But once finishing, the Chief's attention was focused solely on Peter.

He whisked the former menace to the firepit and thanked him for his glanced back at Tigerlily, her face hardening back to its regular stony features. She was left to swallow her self-pity before catching up with her father and Peter. She imagined being at this very spot, in front of the firepit, when her father would bestow his adoration for her. But there she was scuttled off to the side, playing translator.

_"Peter Pan, of the fairy clan,"_ he bellowed. His voice traveled far for everyone to hear. The crowd shifted to listen.

"You, Peter Pan," she translated curtly.

"_You had blessed us with food that will last us the winter. And for that we are forever in your thanks. Your bravery had won our respect and our protection. No longer you are a thief to us. You are our hero. You saved us all,"_

Thin-lipped, Tigerlily forced the next sentence out of her purposely paraphrasing the Chief's speech,

"You brought food. Thank you,"

Peter looked quizzically at Tigerlily, "Are you sure that's what he said? It seemed quite lengthy."

"Yes," Then the boy was ushered into the arms of the adoring villagers before he could speak. They began a feast in his honor, dismissing any grudge against him for stealing their water jugs. The rest of the day revolved around Peter. And if there was something that Peter loved more himself, it is attention. Tigerlily remained in a stony silence. She hardly eaten or joined in the festivities, and when it was time to send Peter home she jumped at the chance to escort him.

She pushed Peter along the path to Pixie Hollow. To say she was furious was an understatement. The glory and recognition belonged to her, not him. On the way, he graced her with details of the feast, which only fueled her hatred to a brilliant blaze. It was until they were a left turn away from the Hollow when Peter stated the obvious.

"You're angry with me,"

"We are almost there," She didn't want to talk about it.

"I tried to say you helped too. I didn't mean to get all the attention. I wasn't even trying," His words conceited but tone was sincerely sorry.

"Are you apologizing?"

"I've never done it before, but I believe that's how it should go," He etched circles along the dirt path as they go. He spun around, making patterns absentmindedly, "Don't get too used to it."

"Just answer me this," she said stiffly, not having forgiven him yet, "What use is my mother's bow to you?"

"Nothing," Jealousy simmered into stopped in the middle of the path, Pixie Hollow was beaming at them over the next hill," Let's just say, I was testing you."

Peter went on to explain his actions, "You see, as much as I like exploring this island alone, I think it would be nice to have someone accompanying me on me on my little adventures, someone knowledgeable of Neverland. Someone who lives here and wouldn't leave once they wake up…" His voice inflection gave away sadness. He must have been playing the dreaming children on the beach. Probably had to say goodbye to newfound friends and playmates.

"You proved that you are worthy of my companionship. Crossing the patch showed you have tact. You were brave when you entered the cave first. You risked your life, with a bow as an incentive. You have fire," He smiled, "And frankly, I like fire."

An apology? A compliment? And if what he said was true, then that meant Peter's incompetence was on purpose. Letting himself get trapped, walking into the patch, wanting to go inside the cave first...The boy was smarter than he led on. Tigerlily didn't know what to make of this. From the short time she knew Peter, she figured he was a selfish and boastful child. But seeing him now, the way his eyes casted a somber gaze, she only saw a lonely boy. A boy who did what he did to get her attention. He wanted a friend.

"To sum it up, when something exciting happens you are my partner in crime,"

Eloquence on top of everything too, she thought to herself. Tigerlily had been firm with her decisions until Peter entered the picture. Though her common sense said not to trust him, every other part of her body said otherwise. She recalled how amazing it felt to run. To run far and fast. Her legs longed to run free, her hands yearned for the feel of her axe- No. She would never drop everything to run off with some boy.

"Nothing happens in these jungles," she said, which was true. The Picaninny tribe never experienced such action as the jaguar chase displayed. Only a few occurrences were worthy of being deemed as exciting and they were in the span of hundreds of years. If any adventure were to occur, then it wouldn't be for a long time.

"I beg to differ. Now that I'm here," Peter spread his arms, motioning for the whole jungle to listen, "something will always happen," Tigerlily didn't doubt it. This boy brought trouble wherever he went.

"Are you in or out?" She looked at him. His arms were wide open, inviting. He was persuasive, she gave him that.

Instead of giving an answer, she brought her face inches away from his, "Tigerlily. My name is Tigerlily,"

"Fitting. So, is that a yes or no, Tigerlily?"

"I have duties Pan," she said his name for the first time, "I will not throw them aside to gallivant the island,"

Peter's smile didn't waver, "There are some bottomless pits along the mountain ridge and I'm simply curious to where they might lead, I plan to be there tomorrow morning. Be sure to join me before the fairies wake,"

"I did not say-"

"I know you'll come," he teased, "Once you stop denying what you want," He bowed politely to her, "Until next time." Then he went swaggering off towards his fairy guardians alone but was met by one of them along the path. A sweet angelic voice called out to Peter. A ball of green light whizzed by. Tigerlily squinted to see a petite woman, with mite height, amidst the green light. She wore dazzling garments and had golden hair fluffed into a bun. The only thing to shame her beauty was the scowl fixed on her ruby lips.

"Peter Pan, where have you been? Running out in the middle of the night without so much of a hoot about where you're heading!" she fired off her concern like a rifle, not waiting for Peter to respond, "You don't know the dangers of this island at night."

"Maybe that's why I keep sneaking out then?" He shot back in defiant nature, "To see for myself. Geez, Tink you are not my mother."

"Tinkerbell," Tigerlily cut in. The fairy finally acknowledged the girl's presence. Her face softened and the cheery nature, that fairies were known for, returned.

"Ah Tigerlily. You are doing quite well. Not hanging around the mermaids, I see."

"Thank you for saving me then,"

"Oh you are very welcome. Just helping out a fellow island native. Do you mind if I take Peter from you now now because Queen Clarion would like a few words with him," she added a glare the boy's way, "Nice seeing you again." Peter groaned before following Tink towards Pixie Hollow, then Tigerlily bid her farewells and traced her way back to her village. As she crossed the hill, she heard Peter shout.

"Oh and one more thing!" The next second, he flew to her side, "Remember the tree, the one where we met? You'll find a surprise there," Before Tigerlily could ask, he lightly tapped the top of her head teasingly and rushed off.

* * *

"Lily? Lily?" A woman's voice brought her out of her little slumber. Lily woke up sprawled out on a chair inside the Sheriff Station. She panicked when she remembered the previous events and tried to get up only to grunt in pain.

"Take it easy, Lily," she turned around to see Sheriff Swan sitting on Graham's old desk next to a first aid kit. This unnerved her. What makes this woman think she could slap on that badge and call herself the new sheriff? Swan hadn't been here that long and suddenly she replaced Graham. As if Lily didn't trust her already, she was there with Graham when he died. For all she knew, Swan was responsible for Graham's death. "You'll be able to get home soon."

"Why am I here?" she asked. She found her backpack settled on her lap, much of its contents were hastily packed inside. She searched for her cell phone Mrs. Tailor gave her for emergencies but couldn't find it among her papers.

"I figured you don't want to go to the hospital. I know I'm not a grade A nurse but it'll do," Lily stopped her shuffling to inspect Swan's handiwork on her injuries. It didn't hurt as much as it did before but what she was feeling was far from gratitude.

"I might have gotten a concussion and you took me to the station. Which of us is the adult here?" she replied wryly.

Swan sighed and lowered her gaze for a second, "You get in a fight, go to the hospital, and then your foster parents find out. They think you're trouble on legs and ship you out to the next home without a second thought. I get it,"

"You were in the system," Lily gathered. But that didn't make her feel sorry for the woman. Swan grew up in the foster system only to put her son through the same thing. The blonde Sheriff sighed again, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk about it. She went to the mini fridge Graham had underneath the desk and came back with a purple popsicle.

"Here. It will help with the swelling," And an empty stomach, Lily thought. She took the treat warily. Grape was her favorite flavor after all.

"This is your first warning," Swan said, "The next time this happens your foster parents will be notified. Stay away from those kids. If it gets worse, call the station," Lily nodded but with no intention of doing so, "There is this program we have at the school for troubled kids. And ontop of the tutoring at Mary Margaret's, your schedule is going to get filled up kid,"

Lily continued to lick the popsicle. The cool taste simmered her negative feelings at the moment. She didn't know who to be angry with, her bullies or Swan or maybe herself. She berated herself for being such a coward. She should have said something, told an adult. But what good would that do? It would only bring the Tailors into this mess, "So, that's it? You're going to let me go?"

"Once you feel better enough to stand,"

Pushing back her chair, Lily got up and shouldered her backpack. She didn't waste another second. Halfway out the door, Swan's voice stopped her.

"Hey," she said, offended, "Whatever made you dislike me, remember that I saved you another transfer,"

Lily crossed her arms. She didn't want to thank this woman just yet. She stuck out her chin defiantly, "I will keep that in mind...Sheriff."

Tigerlily found herself walking back to the ravine. She ended up at the site where she had caught Peter. The net still lay at the base of the tree. She collected it with plans to fix it once she returned to her tribe. Then with Peter's words in mind, she poked around the tree. Bushes and plants surrounded the perimeter so she had to shuffle through the greenery. She kept her head back, anticipating a rabid animal to emerge as she searched.

She caught hold of something. Brushing away the leaves, she saw her mother's bow. It was hidden expertly. Peter must have planted it there after she had left with her hunting party. She went to pick it up and shoulder it off her back. But when her fingers brushed against the the surface of the bow, she felt an impression on the usually smooth surface. On the upper limb, there was a crude engraving of the letter P.

It was an omen. A sign. Tigerlily was a firm believer in superstition and she knew, from that moment. Her business with the daring Peter Pan was not quite finished. She knew it once she touched the engraving, she felt as if the gods were directing her towards this choice. It must be destiny. The next morning, she surprised herself by stalking off to the base of the Nevermountain. Peter leaned casually against the rock face. The sun irradiated more heat that day so he went with only a vest which exposed much of his torso. His arms were crossed and he grinned.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Peter clapped his hands together, already brewing up a plan, "We need to get up the mountain. I would fly, but that would take the fun out of it. Rope would-"

Tigerlily cut him off by throwing a roll of rope his way. She dismantled the net from yesterday to make enough climbing rope for both of them. He raised an eyebrow when he caught it, "Always a step ahead. I like that."

The princess rolled her eyes and examined the mountain. She made her own judgements, "It takes a half day to climb this part. It is best to be hydrated before beginning," Peter held up a canteen and made a big show chugging down its contents. He tossed it to Tigerlily for her to drink.

"We think alike don't we?" he said, "I have a feeling we will make a good team."

**A/N: Another chapter done!**

**Okay, we get to see how Peter and Tigerlily's relationship progresses. And soon we will find out Peter's backstory of where he was from and exactly why he was on a ship.**

**Can't wait for tomorrow's episode but I am incredibly upset about the hiatus. How do they expect us to wait that long without going crazy?**

**Anyway, I'm thinking about breaking the curse around Chapter 10 but it depends on how I would like to develop Tigerlily's past as well as getting a sense of how Lily's life is up until the curse breaks.**


	5. Helpless

Chapter 4 'Helpless'

"_You are not getting away from me that easily," _

"_I always get what I want," _

"_You are mine, forever," _

"_Forever,"_

Lily sprang up from her bed in cold sweat. She ran her hand through her hair as she tried to calm down. The nightmare and the brunette creep still haunted her, and she feared it was getting worse. Inching towards her bedside table where her journal lay, she tried to grasp what happened. The events were hazy and the words were vague, but she knew it was that boy again.

She switched on her lamp and hurriedly scribbled two people on a fresh page, the boy being one of them. The second person was a young girl about her age and decking Native American attire. The two were squaring off, one giving the other intimidating glares, but in sense sort of playful. Lily made sure to highlight the way the girl was in basically in the boy's face, refusing to back down. If only, she could be more like this girl, assertive. And for the boy, she zeroed in on the way he stared at the girl with such desire. Though not in a romantic, mushy way.

Lily recalled what she heard in her dream. Those sayings could have been sweet and endearing, but how the boy said them made it anything but. He sounded like a psychotic serial killer, getting too emotionally attached to his hostages. She shivered at the thought. Graham might have been right and it pained her to remember those last warning words. There was a reason she was having nightmares of this boy. Something bad must have happened in her early childhood. Something bad did happen but it didn't involve anybody else but her and- she didn't want to finish that thought. Oddly enough, when she tried to pinpoint a certain memory from her past she envisioned a blank canvas. Nothing came up. She could hardly remember her first foster home.

Setting down her pen, she stared at the finished drawing. The boy and the girl were well defined in the ink, a range of emotions swirled about the page and she could feel them all before feeling crestfallen and sad in the end. It was obvious these two had a companionship like no other though still a companionship nonetheless. It had its dark aspects but it was meaningful. Lily wished she had what they had. She longed for someone who understood what it was like being so broken and lost. She could walk right into Paige's room and tell her what she had been through, but as great of a friend she was, she would never get it. She had a family and friends who adored her. The perfect life.

Sighing, Lily checked the time on her clock. It was already time to get up. She threw off the covers and changed into her uniform before heading out the door. Normally, she would have taken the bus. With the weather as cool and serene as this, it would be a shame not to enjoy it. She arrived at school in half an hour, roughly early in her opinion. Kids loitered the front of the school, chatting away in their own separate groups. She cut through them to get to her classroom.

When she entered the classroom, she suppressed a groan. Henry Mills sat in his seat, flipping through some book. He was the only one there. Great, she thought. She crept to the back of the room and set her things there. Miss Blanchard hadn't come yet so Lily was forced to endure 10 minutes alone with the mayor's son. She decided to pass the time by doodling in her dream journal some more. She plucked a pencil from her bag and headed over to the sharpener at the front of the classroom. On the way, she passed by Henry's desk. At the corner of her eye, she caught a brightly colored image on a page. Curious, she stopped and saw that it was a prince and a princess. A fairytale, she thought. It looked to be a wedding scene.

She tried to read what was on it, only coming up with a few words here and there. But from the little she could decipher, it was interesting. It turned out to be Snow White and Prince Charming, a fairytale Miss Blanchard assigned to her weeks ago. Scanning the page, she knew that this wasn't in the original story. It had a twist. She got to the part where it said, 'curse' when Henry noticed her presence and quickly shut the book.

"Oh, hi Lily," he said smiling innocently.

"Hi," she responded with less vigor.

"Did you read out of my book?" he asked nervously, fingers tapping against the book's leather cover in a fidgety fashion. It was like whatever is inside was sacred, for certain eyes only.

"No. I'm stupid remember," she lied and ended with a rather bitter tone.

"I don't think you're stupid," Henry said, causing Lily to look at him funny. No one has ever said that to her. And coming from a boy who was supposedly a spoiled brat, it took her off guard, "You just can't read that's all,"

"Apparently, that makes me stupid,"

"Um...out of curiosity, what did you see?" She shifted forward and reached for the book just to spite him. He slid it away from her fingers. He was hiding something.

"Nothing important," In Lily's opinion, it wasn't. What she read was only a story. Nothing more.

"Who knows? What if this book holds the secret of life as we know it here in Storybrooke?" he said offhandedly.

She scoffed before continuing her line of path to the pencil sharpener,"Yeah. Whatever," The day Henry held the secret of life was the day she would get adopted. _Seriously, this kid is weird_, she thought as she reached the sharpener.

After the coast was clear, Henry opened the book again and began searching for the Lily's identity. Henry looked between Lily's retreating figure and the book, flipping through the pages from beginning to end. Frowning, he scrunched his nose in puzzlement having found nothing on a girl matching her description. When he first looked inside the book, he immediately recognized Mary Margaret as Snow White within seconds. It would have struck him by now.

"Who is she?" he wondered to himself. The book talked about the Enchanted Forest. If she wasn't from there, then where was she from? Were there other lands?

* * *

A sword flew past Tigerlily as she made a daring streak towards the river. Smiling to herself, the water was her haven, she knew her pursuers weren't to follow after her there. She swerved through the trees and hopped over the logs. The grumbling of male voices drew nearer and nearer, pushing her speed to its fullest. But then all of the sudden, she was ambushed. From the arc of trees opening into the river, three cloaked figures stood in her path swords and clubs raised. Tigerlily turned to change paths only to be met by her pursuers, all in the same emerald cloaks. There were 6 of them altogether. They were older than children yet younger to be considered adults. It wouldn't be easy to go through them all.

A towering blonde boy stood in front of the three blocking the river. He twirled his club aimlessly, advancing dangerously close to Tigerlily, "Give up now, princess?"

She stuck out her chin defiantly, "Never," Tigerlily grinned knowingly to herself. She had a secret weapon.

She straightened up, threw her head back then let out a crow. It resonated through the jungle reaching for miles around. She heard gasps coming from the boys when something brushed past the jungle canopy, rustling the leaves. Even the blonde looked up to try and find this mysterious bird. Then, one by one, the boys behind Tigerlily shot up into the trees being dragged by their hoods by unseen hands. Some boys screamed as they dropped their weapons and let the force pluck them off the ground.

Tigerlily picked up a fallen club and charged at the blonde. He swung at her but she stooped low enough to jab his kneecap. Once he had fallen, she moved on to the other two. She disarmed one easily but the last boy was tricky. Their duel lasted longer than expected. Near the end of the fight, she discarded the club and moved on with her fists. He tried cuffing her but to no avail. She dodged his throws before punching him square in the nose, knocking the hood off. It revealed to be a brunette boy with freckles. His blue eyes flashed with intensity.

"You're going easy on me?" he taunted, shaking off the pain.

"Are you?" she replied. Before sweeping the boy's legs, bringing him to ground. Sprawled out on his back, he looked up at Tigerlily in defeat. He sighed and brought his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay. You win!"

"Not exactly," a new voice came from above. Tigerlily looked up to see Peter, in his mischievous glory, hanging from the branches. He dropped in front of her, holding his sword, "Rules are that the team captain must perform the final strike to the opposing team captain."

"Then what are you waiting, Peter?" Do it,"

Peter smirked while Tigerlily rolled her eyes. He offered to share the sword hilt so they could strike together. They were on the same team of course and not just in the game, "Will you share the honor?" Tigerlily nodded, showing a hint of a smile. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt right above Peter's. In unison, they raised the sword above their heads. The freckled boy closed his eyes and awaited for the strike that never came. When he opened his eyes, he saw the blade centimeters close to his nose.

"Relax, Devin," Peter hauled the boy to his feet, "It's just a game. You looked as if we were going to actually kill you. It would have been a great loss since you hold a bit of seniority, being the first boy I've taken in."

The boy, Devin smiled and shook hands with Peter in sportsmanship conduct, "You cheated you know? My team jailed you already."

"Cheated? " Peter put a hand to his heart and gasped dramatically, "I would never! I merely used the perk of being the leader to my advantage. Besides, there was a fault in the cage. No one locked it,"

A series of 'Aw, man!'and 'Really?'s erupted in the treetops, "Okay boys, game over!" Devin said and the cloaked boys climbed down from the trees, joining their leader with no hard feelings. It was a good game, brilliantly played and they had fun. That was what mattered. The blonde boy rose from the ground and headed towards the group, the only one bitter about the defeat. He brushed away Peter's hand when a handshake was in order.

"C'mon Felix, don't be such a spoiled sport,"

"I'm not. It's just Tigerlily hit me a bit too hard," he said, glaring at Tigerlily. She crossed her arms. It wasn't her fault the boy couldn't handle it.

A new batch of boys arrived onto the scene, these ones with black cloaks. These boys were much younger, ranging from ages 3- 12. They were Peter' and Tigerlily's team. They had been caught by Felix and Devin's team before they could reach the river. Tigerlily didn't think it was fair to have the smallest kids on one team while the bigger ones were on the other. That was why she and Peter joined the smaller boys to even out the odds, but it sort of backfired.

The smallest of the small, Tootles, ran ahead and stood before Tigerlily. He tugged on her dress. Since he was only a mid thigh height to her, "Did we win? Did we win?" he asked excitedly in his chipmunk-like voice. She nodded, causing the younger team to cheer.

"Okay. The Boomerangs won against the Tangerines!"

"Why did you give us that name, Peter?" Felix asked, very annoyed with the girly name.

"Please, you have bigger boys with bigger clubs, let us have this one,"

"You already won," Begrudging, Felix stalked off somewhere into the jungle, probably heading back to the compound ahead of them. Peter shrugged, bringing his attention back to the boys, "We must celebrate! Come on, let's go home!" Peter exclaimed. And with his arms around both Tigerlily and Devin, the group of 15 or so boys filed out.

Tigerlily couldn't believe how fast the last 2 centuries flew before her eyes. Since that fateful day with the jaguars, alot had changed on Neverland. First of all, she stopped aging. Her bones shifting into place and now forever appearing 15 years old. Now she could look Peter straight in the eyes without having to crane her head. And speaking of Peter, he had made peace with the Picaninny tribe as well as a few neighboring ones clustered near the southern tip of the island. Soon, he and the Indians were allies against island invaders, which meant an organized truce.

Peter had also kept his promise. Nothing ever stayed still in Neverland anymore. The adventures they had were too numerous to count and too phenomenal to describe. From what was a simple companionship grew into an inseparable bond.

But then came a day when the island became too small for them both. Using pixie dust, Tigerlily was able to accompany Peter to travel to different realms. They had met Devin in the Enchanted Forest, running away from an abusive household. They rescued him and took him back to Neverland. Realizing many others were suffering the same fate of abandonment and loneliness, Peter began making frequent trips between the Enchanted Forest and Neverland, rescuing boys from their terrible fates and giving them a home in Neverland. He coined the name Lost Boys and that was what he called them ever since.

It took much convincing of the fairies to let them stay on the island since if the population grows then the magic surrounding their youth would wear out thin. But Tinkerbell pulled through on their behalf, saying that the belief the boys had would fuel the island's magic indubitably. Peter's constant merriment and adventures heightened the boys' belief and now magic flowed like never before, growing larger and more powerful. Neverland was the motherload of magic.

At first, Tigerlily didn't like the arrangement. She had 11 rambunctious boys to look after rather than the one menace before. But over the years, she warmed up to them, even flashing a smile or two at their way. Plus, it was hard to hate the Lost Boys since they adored Tigerlily and worshiped the ground she walked on. They were amazed by her skills and gave her the respect her village never did.

"Tigerlily, you bested us against!" They said to her once they found the compound. Tents and blankets were strewn across a spacious clearing, surrounding an oak tree. Peter had built the compound around the tree he and Tigerlily took refuge in during the jaguar hunt. '_May the tree serve as a refuge to those who were lost.' _he had said when he proposed the idea. It was a comfy setting and very inviting. The Lost Boys took to it, dropping to their favored spots.

Tigerlily took her place on the log in front of the fire, squeezed between Thud Butt and Curly, the two chubs of the Lost Boys. As the twins, Sooner and Later, passed out the celebratory meal to both the winners and losers Tigerlily was swarmed with compliments and questions by the boys,

"How do you run so fast? You must have been a cheetah in a past life,"

"Can you teach me? Could I ever be as good as you?"

"How hard did you hit Felix?"

The questions amused her. She didn't know how to respond. Luckily, she didn't have to. A horn blew in the distance. It came from her village. It meant there was an emergency.

"Oh no boys," Peter called, "I'm afraid Tigerlily has to return to home," Tigerlily wished she could spend the rest of the day at the compound. Sometimes the responsibilities of the Chief's daughter became too much of a hassle and it was nice to have time to relax and play.

Peter handed her her axe and bow which she had left in his tent earlier, "Until tomorrow, Tigerlily. I think it's high time we should go on a quest by ourselves," his lips quirked into a smirk, "It's been an awful long time since it had been just us. According to the mermaids, there's a treasure washed ashore."

"Treasure?" A ginger haired boy, as lanky as Felix, said leaning against a tree, "Well you better get to it soon,"

"Yeah, before Hook does," Thud agreed.

Recently a gang of pirates emerged out of the blue, captained by the infamous and wicked Hook. He was a cold hearted, greedy man bent on revenge towards the one who cut off his hand. He thought Neverland would preserve his age as he went to look for a way to enact his revenge. The pirates' presence on the island disrupted the balance of the magic which fuels youth. Every so often there would be a few Lost Boys, Indians, and pirates who started to age again. Peter spent years trying to chase Hook and his men away to keep the youth magic for the original island inhabitants and his Lost Boys. It was constant battle between the Lost Boys and the pirates.

"Don't worry," Peter assured, circling around the firepit. He wanted his point to come across everybody's ears, "The pirate has other things to deal with...like an army of Lost Boys of for instance?" Cheers erupted from the boys, "Poking holes through their sails would hinder their sailing around Neverland for a little while. Shame since it's a big island and all. Impressive thinking, Fox." The ginger haired boy swelled with pride at the mention of his idea.

"Still, Felix tell the mermaids to spread a rumor of a lucky charm, south tip of the island. That would keep pirates busy for two days," Felix nodded and did his leader's bidding. Tigerlily couldn't figure him out. He had a shady past and always brought negative energy with him. Though when it came to Peter, Felix would obey him without hesitation.

Deciding not to dwell on that any further, Tigerlily accepted Peter's offer to go treasure hunting. He held out his hand to seal the deal. When her hand grasped his, a shock surged through her. Alert, she pulled away. Peter must have felt it too because he studied his fingertips.

He waved it off, "Probably some magic working its way out," he theorized. His eyes locked onto Tigerlily and brought his face close hers. Feeling him a breathe away made Tigerlily back her head away slightly. She wanted to keep a respectable distance, "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," she confirmed, "Goodbye," She walked away from the compound feeling a strange sense of delight. But it didn't last long. The moment she stepped foot on her village, she was approached by her father,

"_Tigerlily, you are late," _he said, disapprovingly.

"_Sorry, father," _She did rush to get there with it being an emergency. The Chief would have none of her escuses He turned abruptly on his heel and led her down the rows of tents

"_You play in the jungles with Lost Boys. No time for games. You must stop and focus on ruling over your people," _

The Chief used to like Peter at one point and didn't mind when Tigerlily ran off with him. But something must have happened and now he tried to limit the times his daughter visits to the compound as much as he could.

They reached the healer's tent and Tigerlily followed her father inside. A group of villagers were inside, huddling around a sleeping man. She had never seen this man before. His clothes were soaked through, clinging to the frail body. This man was the image of death, with his eyes sunken in and purple circles forming around them. He was wearing strange garments, none of which resembled Picaninny or pirate. The villagers made way for the Chief and the princess.

"_Who is this?" _she asked her father.

A petite girl kneeling beside the man, the healer, answered for the Chief. "_We found him on shore. A mainlander," _The girl went by the name of Moon-Eye and was the closest thing Tigerlily had for a female friend. They would talk once in a while whenever they picked berries.

"_He could die soon," _Tigerlily assessed. In her eyes, she didn't think the man could endure another minute of life. That was good. The last thing they needed was another man to throw off the balance of youth magic, "_Leave him be,"_

"_No," _The Chief ordered, "_Heal him. He tell us if more come," _More coming? She used to think it was most unlikely, but with the pirates' arrival, it proved to be probable. Then with that, the villagers left the tent along with the Chief, leaving Tigerlily and Moon-Eye to take care of the man.

Tigerlily grunted. She was called to babysit. But nevertheless, it was her duty as the princess to assist the healers. She stood awkwardly watching Moon-Eye as she tended to the man. She studied the way the girl execute tasks with gentleness and grace. She was an example for what a Picaninny should be. Beautiful and fragile. Moon-Eye couldn't hurt an animal if her life depended on it. She and Tigerlily could never be more different from each other.

"_We must let him die," _

Moon-Eye shook her head. Unlike Tigerlily, she was much more compassionate. She would at least make an effort to save someone's life, no matter who it was.

"_It is not right. He might have information," _

"_Information or not. He is here, on the island, bsorbing the magic as he breathes," _She grabbed a hunting knife from the table and went to finish the job. Chief's orders or not, she didn't want to age. She was only a few feet away from the man when Moon-Eye screamed.

The man jolted into consciousness, coughing up water as he did so. He sat up and checked his surroundings. Panicked, he had grabbed the person nearest him and that was Moon-Eye. She tried to wriggle out of his tight grip. whimpering. Tigerlily intervened by cutting the man's arm with the knife. His arm retracted and he stared at the cut in shock. He took it harder than he should, like he was supposed to be resistant to harm. The man glowered over Tigerlily, who stood an arm's width away shielding Moon-Eye.

"Stay back!" she said, switching tongues.

He jumped to his feet and paced around, searching for answers. Tigerlily could tell from his mannerisms that this man was more than waterlogged. He could be mentally ill. "Where is he?" he asked.

Tigerlily motioned for Moon-Eye to send word for the Chief. She sent the girl out of the tent, leaving her alone with the crazy man, "He?"

"In the chest!" he clarified, but only confused Tigerlily even further, " My master! He calls upon me. I must, I must-" his eyes darted to the tent flap. Knowing what he planned, Tigerlily tried to intercept him but he was too fast. He was out the tent and running across the village.

"_Stop him!" _she ordered anyone within hearing range. Luckily, her hunting party had been nearby. They charged after the stranger with their weapons. Tigerlily strayed behind them, most of her energy had been drained from the game she played with the Lost Boys.

Moon-Eye returned with the Chief. The Chief saw the hunters and ordered for them to stand down. By this time, the man had crossed the edge of the camp. She went to chase after him but her father stopped her, "_Let him run. In his condition, he will die there_"

Tigerlily didn't believe it for a second. The man had outran the fittest hunters of her tribe after only waking up a minute earlier. Whatever possessed him to do that…

The princess could only watch helplessly as the man escaped into the jungle, never to be seen again.

* * *

Lily stumbled onto the backyard porch later that day. From what started as a beautiful day turned into one she wanted to forget.

Her clothes were dirty and her body was bruised. She winced with each step she took, for pain danced from one moving muscle to another. Loud and tearful gasps emitted from her mouth, finding it hard to breathe thanks to the massive kick to her stomach, courtesy of Manny. It was when she collapsed against the wooden railing Paige came outside.

She rushed to her side, still in the winter attire Lily had seen her in earlier. She stifled a small cry at the sight of her foster sister, "Oh no," she breathed, helping Lily out her coat to asses the damage, "Why didn't you call?"

Lily's bloodied fingers dug into her pocket to pull out her cell phone, broken in half, "They took turns throwing it against the wall." she whispered.

Though it pained her to say another word, Lily spoke solemnly, "I saw you at Granny's," As she took the beating in the alley earlier that day she saw Paige through the window. She watched her getting tortured but remained idled.

"Lily, I wanted to-"

"You watched them do this to me," Her voice shook. She could feel a tear trickle down her filthy face, "Your _friends_! Do you tell them to stop?"

"I didn't know what to do. They promised me they weren't going to hurt you too bad,"

"Too late," Lily rose, steadying herself against the railing. She refused Paige's assistance into the house. She hobbled into the kitchen, groping the walls for something to hold onto. She decided to save Sheriff Swan the trouble and tell her foster parents in person. Mrs. Tailor was on the landline when she saw Paige and Lily enter. Her hand went to her heart and her mouth agape. She ended her call to dial the hospital. The foster sisters sat quietly in the dining room while Mrs. Tailor was on the phone with Dr. Whale.

"Does this seem right to you, Paige?" Lily asked finally. The pent up frustration and anger was used to shame Paige, make her feel guilty. She unrolled her sleeve to show her more of the wounds, waving it in front of her eyes," What they're doing to me?!"

Paige tried to avert her eyes. With a small voice she replied, "No,"

"Yet you act like it's _your _arms being tied down. _Your_ mouth they cover to muffle your screams. I hate how the people who are able to help, choose not to! You should have said something!"

"I am trying, Lily!" The chair screeched back and Paige was standing, outraged. She spurred off her feelings, "I tell my friends to leave you alone. It is not my fault if they don't listen to me! They told me they were going to do worse if I said anything."

"But here I am. Needing medical attention. Some sister you are," Hurt spread on Paige's face before turning into anger, "I am tired of fighting your battles for you! Can't you see that you're used for people fighting your own battles. Me, my parents, Graham...And now that he's gone, you think you don't have a fighting chance. Maybe if you learn to defend yourself-"

"Do you believe that a weakling like me could?" Lily interrupted.

"I believe you are more than capable," The sound of Mr. Tailor pulling up on the driveway called to their attention, "Maybe it's not if I believe, but if _you_ believe. You're stronger than people credit you for. Why can't you see that?" Paige stormed upstairs, leaving Lily to think about what she had said.

**A/N: Okay. I've been pretty busy this winter break trying to perfect the next few chapters. **

**For the record, Moon-Eye is a character from Jodi Lynn Anderson's book, **_**Tigerlily**_**. I recommend reading it. It is amazing and beautifully written. It was actually what inspired me to make this story in the first place. **

**So the after the next chapter, the Neverland flashbacks wouldn't necessarily be in chronological order. It would kinda bounce around depending on where we are in Storybrooke like on the show. Tell me if this is getting a bit boring. Please, don't be afraid to tell me upfront when this story could use a twist or two. The next chapter, we get to see a spark of Tigerlily show in Lily and what happens when the mysterious chest is found by the Lost Boys. I think you're really going to like it!**

**If you've noticed, I keep changing the story covers. I'm finicky. I love making new cover art, it gets me inspired. Maybe if you know how long it takes me to make one cover, then you'll know why I haven't been updating as frequently as I should. **

**Tis' the season to be jolly- but how could I be jolly with this darn hiatus. I guess we'll just pass the time with our fanfics and tumblr. **

**Stay strong, everybody. Merry Christmas!**

***~Phoebee~***


	6. The Treasure Chest

Chapter 5 'The Treasure Chest'

"He sounds like a loon if you ask me," Peter said, swatting away leaves with his sword as he traversed the dense jungles with Tigerlily. She had finished telling him about the strange man her tribe found the other day. The look of disbelief worked its way onto his elfish features, quickly changing into an utmost respect for the man, "But with resilience like that, he just might survive."

Tigerlily nodded in agreement. Currently, she and Peter were going to check out the treasure on the front shore. It was nice to have a quest just by themselves. It had been a century since their last adventure, and it had been their most dangerous one yet. It made Tigerlily slightly hesitant to jump into another. Not a day passed by where she did not look at Peter and thought of what might have happened if they didn't escape. She was thankful both of them made it out alive, but came out changed from that experience.

"He came from shore," she said, the beach slowly coming into view ahead, "Do you think he came with the treasure?"

"He probably ran from you guys to go and get it," Peter theorized.

"If so. He should be here by now," Then Tigerlily remembered something else, the weirdest part of her brief conversation with the deranged man, "He said he has a master...inside the chest."

"Really?" Peter laughed, not believing it for a second, "It's probably some idol he worships," He caught Tigerlily's unamused reaction, "You don't actually think a real person is in there?"

She sighed. She harbored a sixth sense, like a premonition. From the whistle of the wind, she could hear if a fairy or Lost Boy is in danger. She could feel a disturbance in the universe when horrible events were going to happen. Most of the time, this feeling proved to be correct and she would find the compound set ablaze or a swamp monster terrorizing her tribe. The man brought on that premonition and so did the chest where his supposed 'master' was in, "I have a bad feeling about it."

"You shouldn't be concerned with a chest. Unless," Grabbing her hand and spinning her towards him, Peter held Tigerlily flush against him. His hot breath tickling her neck when he spoke, "it's yours pressed against mine."

"Pet-?" She was prepared to launch a verbal attack when his finger went to her lips to shush her. From a passerby's eyes, it seemed like a romantic gesture. But Tigerlily knew better. She detected an urgency in Peter's actions. His eyes flicker from her to the beach scene behind her. She recognized the code. They got company. He pulled her back before she exposed their position.

She tore away his finger, "You did not have to such things you know." she huffed. The one thing she coveted was personal space and Peter had yet to learn what that meant.

"What things?" He asked, coyly. "You've got to admit that was clever the way I put that together. I simply couldn't break off in the middle like that," Leave it to Peter to joke around during a crisis.

"Never mind," Tigerlily silently changed direction to see who beat them to the treasure. She noticed hers and Peter's hands were still connected, but she didn't find the time to fix that. There were more pressing issues to be dealt with.

She could see a decrepit rowboat crashed against the rocks, and there in the center was the chest, heavily enclosed in a series of iron chains. Tigerlily learned that chains were used to keep something out...or something in. Moving her line of vision to the left, she saw a group of men, decked in their saltwater stained trousers and stolen jewelry- the pirates. Ahead of them was their leader, Captain Hook.

"Have a plan, Pan?"

Peter closed his eyes and fiddled his fingers across his lips, a habit he did to formulate on the spot decisions, "Think, think, think," Then it came to him.

"The Fire Beetles," he said, "Remember those little buggers. What did we do to lure them to the cage?"

Tigerlily nodded thoughtfully, recalling the strategy, "It could work." She waited for Peter to head out to the beach to initiate the plan. He would have gone right away with it being in his impulsive nature. But he lingered at her side, gazing at her. He debated whether or not to say something,"You know. When I asked you to come with me-"

"Peter. There is no time," Tigerlily said, impatiently. The window of opportunity was closing. It was time to act now, "Go."

Peter frowned for a moment before an indifferent demeanor took over his face. He dropped his hand from Tigerlily's and scampered off to the beach to let himself be known to the pirates, "Oi! Are you ladies lost?"

"Pan!" Captain Hook welcomed him, as if the beach was his domain, "You're too late. First come, first serve," He swaggered cockily towards the boy, his band of pirates following in suit, all their backs facing the rowboat. While they were distracted, Tigerlily crept to the treasure. She could hear the banter between Peter and Hook. It was the same witty remarks followed by a duel. They were both equally matched in swordplay skills, so it was pretty close and fantastic to watch.

"Haven't stopped me before, Captain," Peter said, sword in ready in his hand.

"Sometimes I think you don't even try. Sending your Lost Boy to spread word of a fake luck charm via mermaid. Oldest trick in your book,"

"How did you find out?"

"Smee was snooping around the lagoon when Felix came. You know better than to deter a pirate from his treasure,"

While this was going on, Tigerlily climbed into the rowboat and went to break the chains, but her blade couldn't hack through them. Despite her initial bewilderment, she kept striking at them. They should have broke. Peter had enchanted the axe so it could pierce any material with no trouble. The chains were immune to the magic on her blade.

"What do we have here?" A gruff voice said into her ear. Tigerlily inwardly winced, recognizing her mistake. The noise of her efforts had drawn the attention of the pirates.

Looking up, she was face to face with Captain Hook. His ruggedly handsome features scowled at her, blue orbs as entrancing as the sea. His eyebrows quirked before getting dangerously close to her. For the second time that day, her personal space had been evaded, "Hello Tigerlily," He caressed her hair with his hook, twirling it around. She growled and pushed the crude attachment away, "Do you remember the last time we were on this beach?" he hissed into her ear, "If I don't get the Crocodile first, then I'd be sure to cut off your head to put on my mantle but not without sewing your mouth. So you won't spew lies even in death,"

Peter slid in between them. He raised his sword to keep Hook from getting close again, "_Get away from her!" _

"Just give me the treasure and we'll be on our way,"

"You should have been on your way years ago," Peter retorted.

"Yes, but I haven't found what I need for my revenge. I'm not leaving Neverland anytime sooner. But in the meantime, I'll indulge myself with the gold in that chest,"

Peter sighed. He didn't want this ongoing rivalry to continue. Frankly he was tired of it. There had been a time when he and Hook were on good terms. He wouldn't mind going back to how things used to be, but some part of him knew that was least likely to happen, "Must we do this, _Killian?_" he said his name wistfully, thinking of the times they had.

Hook, on the other hand, did not care to return to those days. His sea blue hues churned into a raging storm, "I'm not a boy anymore, Pan. Don't order me around," Tigerlily saw Peter stumble back at those words. A hint of sadness washed over him.

Then Hook gave the order for his pirates to charge and it became a battle for the treasure.

* * *

The past few weeks had been peaceful for Lily. Ever since the trip to the hospital, Sheriff Swan kept her word and sent her to the program for troubled kids. At first, it was like one of those stupid sharing circles, where the person with the foam ball would speak while the others were forced to listen. But over time, they veered away from the serious stuff and went onto funny experiences. It took her mind off what was going on in her life and she could tell it had the same effect for everybody else in the program.

She got to know a number of people through the program and even made a couple of new friends. There were these twins, Ava and Nic Zimmer. She liked to talk to them, despite being 4 years apart. Like her, they were orphans. But that was until the Sheriff located their father who then took the twins in.

Ava proved to be quite a fast talking spitfire. She was the silliest of the group despite being one of the eldest. There was no hesitation in her words, she spoke her mind. But the things she random things she say could either leave you baffled or entertained.

But Nicholas was the polar opposite of his sister. He was collective and quiet sometimes. But what sets him apart from the rest of the group was his obsession with science fiction. Lily had never seen a single Star Wars movie in her life, "We need to fix that," he had said. 6 movies and 8 bags of popcorn later, Lily could now carry on a conversation with Nic. She loved hanging out with them, even at school.

At school couldn't apply disciplinary action towards her tormentors. There wasn't proof that Manny and the others had bullied her, much to Lily's utter shock. Miraculously, Miss Blanchard pulled through for her and arranged for some teacher protection. She would walk Lily to and from school, making sure she wouldn't get ambushed on the way and would always check in on the weekends. And in class, she put a distance between Lily and her tormentors, never partnering her up with Manny or Allison for projects or activities. Thanks to her, there hadn't been an attack for weeks. Lily was grateful for the help, since Paige wasn't giving her any.

Paige was still angry at her. She and her foster sister weren't on speaking would eat during different times at home and would avoid eye contact whenever necessary. This made it hard on the Tailors who try to accustom themselves to this strenuous situation. They didn't want to start another fight between the two.

Lily nearly apologized, but Paige had to make it worse. She started to hang out with Henry more. She thought she was doing that just to spite her, but she looked like she genuinely enjoyed his company, even having him come over. Imagine her face when she opened the door to find a smiling Henry on the doorstep. Now with this new development, she resumed her stubborn silence.

Despite the Paige issue, all was well in the world in Lily's eyes.

That was until today.

She was sitting on the steps of the school with Nic and Ava during recess. Manny and his group of older friends threw open the doors, startling the three, "Look guys, it's the orphans," he sneered in their faces.

Nic shifted away from them as best he could, bringing his Star Trek lunchbox closer to his chest. Ava glared at the boys for making her brother so insecure. She was overprotective of Nic. Lily learned of what the Zimmers had gone through since their mother's passing. Those two stole and smuggled whatever they could find to survive. Ava felt solely responsible for keeping her safe and would inflict pain to those who dared to hurt him, "Leave us alone," she said. Lily put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder, calming her down slightly.

Lily knew why Manny decided to grace them with his presence today of all days. Half the teachers have gone out sick due to food poisoning from the cafeteria meals. That meant less they had to cut recess patrol down to two, both busy with the elementary school kids on the playground to notice. She figured he planned this confrontation for weeks now.

"Come on, guys," One of the things she learned from the program was if a bully was giving you a hard time, walking away before violence broke out was a good option. She hastily packed up her lunch and went to scurry down the steps. Her mistake, Manny stuck his foot in front of her, tripping her. She toppled onto the ground.

"Get her," Manny ordered his friends. Lily raised her head from the gravel to see two boys, whom she recognized as her classmates, pluck her from the ground and hold in place in front of the flagpole. Nic and Ava knew what was happening and tried to get inside the school to warn a teacher, but the boys had locked the doors.

This beating was different than the others. This time, Lily was trying to wriggle out of their grips, she was fighting. For the past few weeks, she was exposed to a different life, a life where she had friends and felt she could be at ease with herself. Nic and Ava were in her life now and they made it feel okay for her to be herself. For once, she was comfortable in her own skin, having let herself laugh and smile when she hadn't been able to do so since Graham's death.

That could change in an instant. She would only revert back to that scared, defenseless girl if she let them beat her up again. A crowd of kids started to gather and watch it happen. Lily spotted Paige running from the playground with Henry in tow. She made a move to put a stop to this, but Henry pulled her back. He didn't want her to get hurt. She was forced to watch Lily get treated like this again.

"It's been a while," Manny didn't waste time, having brought his fist to punch Lily square in the stomach. Her knees buckled as she let out a cry. Her arms were still being held above her. She felt like she was about to be executed. But for what? It wasn't her fault she was an orphan. It was something she couldn't change.

Another punch knocked the breath out of her. It took a few moments to regain her air, but she knew she better do something before she started coughing blood.

"Stop!" Moving her eyes from the ground, she saw Paige move in front of her, having escaped Henry's hold and now shielding her from the next blow. "Manny, don't do this. She's done nothing wrong yet you and everybody else pick on her," She pleaded. Nic and Ava were about to do the same but Lily mouthed a 'Don't' in their direction. She didn't want them to get involved.

"Paige, move," Lily tried to get her friend to safety.

"Listen to her," Manny said gruffly, "and we won't do the same with you,"

Paige wouldn't budge, feet rooted and arms spread to prevent further harm to Lily, "Why are you doing this to my sister?" _Sister. _She never called me that, thought Lily, stunned and happy at the same time. She nearly forgot what was transpiring here.

"It's because it's so easy. Now, get out of the way, Paige," With that, Manny tossed Paige aside like a rag doll.

The sight of this made Lily's blood boil. No messes with her best friend. _Her sister_. She resumed jerking out of the boys' hold.

She imagined this was the part in the story, where the underdog had an epiphany before fighting the main antagonist. She wanted to be brave, like Graham wanted. She wanted to fight for him, for Paige, for the Zimmers. Just then, she laid it down. She wasn't going to be treated like this anymore and she wouldn't let anybody get treated like this either. What she did next surprised even her and may not have been what the former Sheriff would approve of. She finally forced herself away from the two boys' grips and punched them square in the face. They stumbled back, clutching to their faces. One of them pulled his hand away to reveal a nasty black eye.

_Did I do that?_ Lily didn't have much time to mull it over since Manny called for reinforcements. This set of boys ranged from her age to older. She was running low on belief. _I'm doomed_.

"Paige, go!" The brown haired girl nodded and joined Henry and the Zimmers on the sidelines.

Lily could have run off, escape to the office and report to the teacher. But the way her bullies were staring her down, they tempted her. She was fueled with some unknown strength. If she could punch two guys simultaneously, then she can handle them. After that miraculous show of bravery, those stares didn't intimidate her like they used to. In the back of her mind, she felt she came across many situations like this though couldn't properly recall. In a trick of the light, Lily thought she saw the bullies carrying swords. She shook her head and everything returned normal. But her clenched fists tingled at the satisfaction of revenge, she was ready to take them on.

She advanced.

* * *

Tigerlily's feet were planted into the ground, staring down the pirates as they neared her with their swords drawn. She tossed her axe into the air and made a show of twirling it. Peter's theatrics must have rubbed off on her. Speaking of the boy, he was engaged in a duel with Hook. It was always those two, picking up from their last match with the incessant need to best the other. It reminded her of the relationship she had with Peter. She heeded an oncoming pirate. When the first blade came in contact with her axe, she was ready.

CLANG!

She could hear her opponents' chains buffeting against each other as they stormed towards Lily was ready. She ducked as the first guy tried to grab her and slid between his legs in a nick of time. While he was briefly confused, she yanked him down by his golden locks and landing painfully on the gravel.

THUD!

The pirate fell after Tigerlily headbutted him. The impact could have damaged them both, but she was tolerant to the pain. She swung her axe at the rest. The pirates were tactful. Their attacks were rapid and well executed. When Tigerlily would block one, another would slash at her. She brought her axe to deflect as much as she could.

She turned her head to face Starkley, an eye-patched man with a dagger. A mistake. Bill Jukes came from behind and booted her in the knee.

CRACK!

She elbowed a boy hard in the face and kicked another in a 'special place'. This caused an uproar within the crowd of kids. Some egged her on but the majority were terrified. Lily didn't mind and continued with this violent rhythm. But she was too busy with the reinforcements to notice Manny approaching from the back. The Zimmers, Paige, and Henry didn't hesitate to shout,

LOOK OUT!

Tigerlily heeded Peter's warning and swiveled with her injured knee, slicing Bill Jukes' leg clean off. How Peter was able to coach her whilst parrying Hook's strike was beyond her. She was worried he was spreading his focus way too thin, from keeping an eye on her, the treasure, and importantly Hook's sword.

* * *

Lily ducked to avoid the rock Manny threw her way. The projectile smashed into the front window, sending a shower of glass at the crowd of kids. They ducked and shielded themselves from the shards. Luckily, no one got hurt. The glass scattered far, a few finding their way near her and Manny.

She stared at main tormentor and stuck out her chin stuck up in a defiant manner as if to say 'Bring it on'. Much to her amusement, Manny could only stare at the damage wide-eyed before taking off in the opposite direction, probably out to hide from her reign of terror. Not so fast, she thought. The boy who started this shouldn't walk out unscathed. Then, without thinking, she cartwheeled to the shards. In a swift move, she grabbed a particularly big one in the midst of her acrobatics and once upright, had enough of momentum to throw it at Manny's retreating figure. It pierced his shoulder, bringing him down before he could run further.

For a split second, she relished in the victory. But the reality of her actions quickly brought her out of her crazy warrior state. Silence stretched throughout the crowd. Those who were supporting the fight were now as frightened as the other kids after witnessing the glass shard shot. She saw the bodies of the boys she fought, they were slumped against the flagpole or groaning on the ground. One boy clutched his knee. Lily realized she had dislocated it by the way it was bent at an abnormal angle.

A bad feeling settled into her stomach. Lily looked to her friends. Nic and Ava were wide-eyed. She didn't know what they thought. Paige had a hand clamped over her mouth to stifle the shock. The expressions on everyone else's faces were clear. They thought she was a monster. Lily stared at her hands in horror and immediately felt ashamed.

The doors to the school slammed open and out came Mother Superior and the staff came hurrying outside. Too late. Where were you guys ten minutes ago? she thought.

Mother Superior was gobsmacked to say the least. She put a hand on hips, eyes narrowing from the injured boys, to the broken window, and finally to Lily.

"_What happened here?" _

* * *

"This beach seemed bigger than I remembered," Peter angled his body to dodge an attack. He spun around in time to deflect another blow, "To a five year old, everything in Neverland seemed bigger," he replied.

Hook gave a dry laugh, then he kept coming at Peter. "Playing tag, picnics, our little duels- at this very spot,"

"For you to perish here would be all the more fitting wouldn't it, Jones?" Hook's tactic proved to be more offense than defense. Peter could easily see his opponent's moves coming after fighting him for so long. He had yet to see something new come from the Captain.

"I do not have plans to die on this godforsaken island,"

"Your brother didn't, but look how that ended,"

Hook gave a war cry, his bitterness fueled by those words. He kept swinging his sword at Peter just to only have the boy strike with the same force, their two blades meeting at an X-formation, "You wouldn't know anything about brotherhood," the pirate snarled, poison laced in his hoarse voice.

But Peter fought back, pushing against Hook with strength beyond his small boy appearance, "I know more than you think!" Hook stumbled onto the shore. He decided to get creative and kick saltwater into Peter's eyes, "Ah, that's better. I was born with the sea in my blood anyway, lad. This proves I have the upperhand in water,"

Peter's breath hitched as he looked at the water. He suddenly drew back, "Oh, afraid to go into the water?" the pirate goaded, "Peter Pan is going to let a bit of ocean stop him?"

Tigerlily decided to intervene at this point, bringing her axe to stop Hook from bringing down his sword on Peter. She gave Peter enough time to flee from the pirate's wrath, heaving the pirate captain into the water in the process.

"Good job, Tigerlily! Now get that chest open!" Tigerlily swung her axe to keep the other pirates at bay. But they were starting to regroup.

"My axe cannot cut through," she yelled over the commotion. She and Peter were back to back now, rotating to see which pirate to take down first. They circled them but were rendered to wait for Peter's first move.

"Don't be silly," Peter scoffed, "I enchanted it myself,"

"Either it was your magic or someone else's,"

"What do you mean?"

"I think there might be magic in that chest," Tigerlily did feel a surge of power when trying to break open the chest.

"Then I may know how to open it. What better than to use magic on magic,"

Tigerlily dropped her fighting stance. The pirates didn't matter. She lowered her guard to face Peter, "Too risky. I am not letting you," She grabbed his shoulders, "Please don't."

"I'll be safe," Peter assured, "Take care of them while I go. When I return, I'll be the same boy you know and love. I promise." Tigerlily tried to disagree, but Peter gave her a farewell wink before flying off to the rowboat.

By this time, Hook pulled himself out of the water and went to join his comrades, "That is sweet and all but that's my treasure. Come on men, let's get him,"

"Cap'n!" The pirates turned their attention to their meek crew member, Smee. He was off to the side, far from the battle, tending to Jukes.

"Smee," Hook's expression softened and he rushed to his fallen man. He assessed the damage and looked for the final diagnostic, "what is it?"

"Jukes lost a leg. He's losing a lot of blood. We need to get him back to the Roger," Smee explained hurriedly.

Hook glared inwardly, looking behind him he yelled to the boy near the rowboat, ""What riches enclosed in that chest- it's never worth the lives of my crew. This isn't over, Pan!" Peter didn't turn to face him. He wanted to know what was inside the chest. He wasn't going to leave until he found out.

Hook and Smee helped Jukes rise and brought along his severed leg. With that, they hobbled off the beach and had surrendered the treasure to Peter and Tigerlily.

Tigerlily relished the victory before remembering Peter. She turned to see how he was doing. She kept her distance, not sure what to expect.

His hands hummed with Neverland's magic pulsing through him. His face contorted into an expression of pure determination and focus. The chains burned green, the color of magic, then rattled violently before becoming undone around the chest. Peter went to open the chest, but he never had the chance. The lid screeched open and black mass shot up from inside.

Peter stumbled back, a gust of wind whipping at him. He fell on the ground and tried to ward it off. But it surrounded him, consumed him. This shapeless darkness tugged away at his body, tugging away at his essence. It was trying to get something from him but he didn't know what. From the corner he could see his own shadow moving. It was moving out of sync with his own actions, it was moving against his will.

Then suddenly, he felt a great weight being lifted from him. The extraction was painful, having screamed and fallen on his knees. His eyes widened in surprise as he groped around his back for the familiar cold of his shadow and haven't found it. Then Peter's torso finally crumpled onto the ground. He laid there, lifeless.

"Peter!" Tigerlily realized what was happening and went to stop it. But when she arrived at Peter's side, she was too late.

His shadow had been ripped from his body.

**A/N: Yay! We get to see Hook!**

**For that little fight sequence, the sounds correspond to the attacks both Lily and Tigerlily use. It transitions from one world to another. I hope that didn't confuse anybody. **

**There are a few things you need to know about this story. **

**1) Peter Pan is not Rumplestiltskin's father. Peter and Malcom are two different people. And he will be mentioned in this story later on. **

**2) On a contrasting note, Tigerlily and Pocahontas are the same. In my opinion, it's like how Peter is also the Pied Piper (clever Eddy and Adam). There will be parallels to the the Pocahontas movie**

**3) Peter Pan and Captain Hook have met before. Back when the captain had both his hands and a brother, he and Peter were on good terms. In fact, they were friends.**

**4) I might get timelines mucked up. It took me three tries to make sure everything is in order. How does OUAT do it? **

**5) This isn't really canon. I just recently learned what that word meant. **

**Don't forget to leave reviews. What do you think happened between Hook and Peter? Hook and Tigerlily? What do you think is going to happen to Peter? **


	7. Dark Hollow

Chapter 6 'Dark Hollow'

He was dead.

She ran her fingers along the side of Peter's face. It was cold. She checked for a pulse. There was none. She pulled his body into her arms and tried to shake him back to consciousness. She cried out his name, desperation caught in her throat. But he wasn't responsive. Never before in her life she felt the fear and misery she was experiencing now. The one who really understood her, who had been through years and years of just about everything with her, was gone. Just like that. Her pride didn't matter to her at the moment and she let herself grieve over him. She let the tears fall. She let herself become vulnerable only for him.

Grief then morphed into guilt. If she had known the chest contained a Shadow, she would have never let Peter come near it. Once a Shadow takes, the damage could never be undone. She knew that her whole life. It had escaped into the jungle after stealing Peter's shadow. Hunting it down in an act of vengeance escaped her mind. She was too overwhelmed to remember or care. Tigerlily sniffled as she wiped away her tears. She must bring the body back to the compound. She carried him in her arms, a surprising feat for a girl, back home. She was set in a stony silence the entire way there and when the Lost Boys came to greet them, she didn't utter a word. Not even when she saw their mortified expressions when his corpse was shown.

Felix and Fox tried to take him from her but she refused. She stubbornly headed for the tree house a little ways off from the compound. The whole structure had been a gift for Tigerlily many years ago, so she could be near the boys when she had to. She desperately tried to make it up the ladder but the extra weight threw off the balance. With a tear stained face and determination she eventually reached the top. She laid him down on the bed and hastily left to make the difficult announcement that Peter Pan was dead. It pained her to look at him. She knew that if she did, it seemed as though the boy was merely sleeping.

She ultimately returned to the treehouse hours later. She stood near the hatch, watching as each Lost Boy paid their respects. They brought gifts beside the bed, trinkets and keepsakes the boys had that reminded of them of Peter. Sooner or Later spread out their knife collection, Thud left a half-eaten bird leg, Tootles had a sketch of Peter that resembled nothing like the boy but was a cute adaptation nonetheless. When it was Felix's turn, he offered his club. It was his favorite weapon and giving it to Peter reflected his loyalty towards him. Devin was too distraught to come near the tree house.

Soon, the tree house was empty, all the Lost Boys waiting below for the final sendoff. It was time for Tigerlily to offer something. If she was honest with herself, she would admit she was shaking as she neared the bed. She thought she could drop her offering and dart down the ladder. But no, Peter deserved a proper farewell.

She sat on the edge of the bed, facing straight ahead. After a sharp intake of breath, she shifted her head to see what became of Peter.

His face was brightly orange, an added hue from the flickering candlelight she held in front of him. For a second, she couldn't see the pale features associated with death. She dared to stroke his cheek and felt no sweat, no heat, no sign of fear that he might have had when opening the chest. That only showed he was brave even when facing the end of his days. She liked to think this was a sick joke he played. It wouldn't be the first time he faked his death.

"_I'll be safe_," he had said, "_When I return…"_

But she witnessed it happen. Peter was stripped of his shadow.

She was emotionally numb. She couldn't bring herself to cry again after bringing him to the treehouse. She never found the reason to. As if crying would bring him back anyway.

She missed him. The things they had been through together could only come from centuries of companionship and trust. She refused to believe he was gone. Dare she admit it, Peter was her best friend and she couldn't believe she let this happen. She reached for his hand, and put something on his palm. She curled his fingers around it. The last keepsake and it was the symbol of their friendship.

"So it's true?" A boy's voice carried from the entrance, "He's really dead?" Tigerlily felt her body stiffen at the sound. She swiveled around to find an unwelcomed guest in the treehouse. He wasn't a Lost Boy, but with the sorrowful gaze he was giving her, he might as well be. His clothes were as disheveled and dirty as one and was armed with only leather satchel. This boy was the outcast among outcasts, never joining the others for mealtimes or hunting expeditions. He was the one who regretted coming to Neverland.

"Baelfire," she said, surprised he would show up to the funeral. Baelfire, or Bae as most would call him, resented Peter for bringing him to the island and tried his best to get as far away from him as possible, eventually moving of the compound and into a secluded cave near her village. No one minded the arrangement, Peter didn't argue or fought with him about it. He simply let him go, but he never stopped caring for Bae.

Peter would have appreciated Bae for coming to send him off, "Make it quick, we need to bury him soon," Tigerlily said, her guard back up. She didn't want for Bae to see her emotional.

The boy of fourteen shook his head, flipping his tousled hair out of his eyes as he did so, "No, I'm not here to pay my respects,"

"Neither am I," Then Tinkerbell came into the picture, grown to full size, a rarity. Tigerlily didn't see much of Tink since Peter moved out of Pixie Hollow. Peter tried to distance himself from him and his former fairy guardian though she could never understand why. She was just as unwelcomed as Baelfire. Sizing up Tink now, Tigerlily could see she was rather chipper, which was inappropriate for the current circumstance. She fiddled with her wand nervously, smiling slightly, "We are here to help."

"Help?" Tigerlily gave a dry laugh, getting up towards the hatch. And the joke kept going... "He is beyond help. His shadow has been taken, fairy."

"Taken, I know. But that doesn't mean you cannot get it back," Tigerlily turned around, looking at Tink as if she sprouted another head. If it had been that easy, then why didn't they used this to get back other people's shadows? Half her people wouldn't be dead. There was a reason Dark Hollow, the home of the Shadows, was forbidden. They were a class of creatures Tigerlily wouldn't dare to face.

"Getting a person's shadow back is _possible_?" She gritted her teeth, cornering Tink against the wall of the treehouse where Peter kept his Lost Things. The fairies had their own way of doing things, keeping things to themselves, claiming to be working for the greater good. That infuriated her, "You tell me this now? My mother died because her Shadow was ripped from her. You would know. You were there, weren't you? Have you always known?"

"Tigerlily please," Bae begged, coming to the fairy's defense, "Returning shadows has never been done before. We could only assume its possible since the taken shadows dwell in Dark Hollow. If one could go-"

"Dark Hollow is the most dangerous part of the island," Tigerlily reminded, "If I set foot there, I might as well be joined with Peter in death,"

"Now would he want you to give up?" Tink raised an eyebrow towards said boy, "Let me tell you, that is the greatest disservice to his memory. Peter Pan never gives up. Never. And you know as well as I do that he would have done the same for you in a heartbeat," she lowered her voice,"We have a small window of opportunity. Queen Clarion and the other fairies figured we have until nightfall to get his shadow back. If we fail to return it soon, his shadow will become a Shadow and it cannot be rejoined with its owner. It's still daytime. They are at their weakest during the day. You can easily slip in, grab the shadow, and go,"

"Easily? Yes, because fighting Shadows is easy,"

"It isn't," Bae reached into his satchel and took out a coconut. It was cracked perfectly in half. He opened it up and inside was a chunk of wax, "I made this. It will serve as a cage for Peter's shadow. You light a flame here. Light can serve as the best prison, only if its contained somewhere where its only light. A simple torch isn't enough, in fact that only makes it worse," Tigerlily was beginning to see the logic behind this. The torch could cast dark shapes, giving more power to the Shadows.

"How could I tell which one is his?" She asked, slowly leaning towards agreeing to this quest. It was suicide, but if it was the only way to save Peter, then she must. She owed it to him. He saved her countless times. The Echo Caves, the swamp monster, and their first quest- the jaguars.

"I don't know. But we believe you will find it," Tink said

Tigerlily paused and turned to Bae, "Why are you doing this?"

"Despite everything that happened, he is family," He replied solemnly, risking another glance back at the corpse with wistful eyes.

Tigerlily stepped off of Tink and snatched the coconut from Bae's hands. She shimmied down the hatch in seconds. Tink and Bae ran out to the balcony and watched as Tigerlily broke through the crowd of confused Lost Boys, who had prepared the coffin and were awaiting for the funeral. Ignoring them, the princess snatched up a torch and lit it off of the compound fire.

"Where are you going?" Felix's voice brought her back.

"Dark Hollow,"

"But the burial-"

"There will be no burial," Tigerlily stated, causing a clamor in the Lost Boys. She whipped around to face them, her grim features highlighted by the flames of the torch, "I am going to bring him back. Back from the dead."

* * *

Mother Superior paced solemnly in her office, pounding her heels against the hardwood floors, making Lily flinch. Sure, the woman was a nun, but she was capable of being frightening, especially to students who misbehave. She rubbed her temples to relieve the stress Lily's antics caused. The window repair would dock off a few hundred dollars in necessary funds for the school and the boys' parents were threatening to shut the institute down altogether. She could explode.

"Clockwise," she whispered to herself, massaging her temples in said direction,"Like Dr. Hopper said,"

So much for an explosion, but Lily squirmed in her seat nevertheless, feeling sorry for Mother Superior. She didn't mean to add onto the pressure of managing both nuns and kids. But that girl pounding on those bullies just sorta appeared. She finally snapped and in doing so, she snapped. It was initially self defense, but once socking two of them in the face, it triggered this beast. Never before today, she imagined wanting to hurt someone. Now, she tried so desperately to swallow her thirst for more violence. Her fingers were itching to inflict more pain, and that scared her.

She tilted her head and caught Sheriff Swan stationed near the door. Mother Superior had called her as a precaution, in case Lily freaked out again. Oh, she could already feel the handcuffs on her wrists now. She knew what the students and teachers were saying. Whether if it was 'freak' or 'public menace', she was heavily disliked by everyone. Even more than before.

"Lily," Mother Superior began, "You have single-handedly harmed a group of boys, consisting of both elementary and high school students,"

"The way you said it made it sound like it's an achievement," said Sheriff Swan. The corners of her lips quirking to an almost smile.

"I assure you Emma, it is not,"

"Okay. But are you sure you got the right girl here? I mean, come on kid," she focused on Lily now, "but this doesn't seem like you at all."

"You don't think I can handle myself?" Lily found herself biting back, not caring if she sounded contemptuous. At least Graham thought she was stronger than she appeared.

"I'm not saying that at all. But Mother Superior, those boys out there are not the victims,"

Mother Superior made a face like she had been told God didn't exist, ""_Miss Swan, _you saw the boys on your way in. They're the ones who got injured,"

"But with all due respect, I think they deserved what they got," Both Lily and Mother Superior were in pure bewilderment. Here was the Sheriff saying the violence was well earned in her book.

"Have you seen what they've done to her? In the back of Granny's, beside the dumpster, you know what those boys have done to her? Imagine their injuries from today, all inflicted on one person. And that one person is sitting in front of you today, being punished while they never been reprimanded. I tried to intervene but Regina said that since they're your students, you dish out the punishment,"

"There is no proof of this abuse, like I told Lily before,"

"Proof? You want proof?" Sheriff Swan belligerently asked, her volume increasing, "The bruises aren't enough _proof?_"

Mother Superior, startled by the blonde's assertiveness, stepped back. "Bruises?" she said softly, not believing it, "Lily, show me," she ordered.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to do what the nun asked. She didn't like going around displaying her scars. It had been a feat showing them to Dr. Whale. But how else was she going to prove it? Sighing, she then slowly lifted up her shirt, her purple bruises exposed. All the kicks to the stomachs had done it, making it hard to breathe at times. Ignoring Mother Superior's stifled gasps, she rolled up her right sleeve, then her pant legs to reveal the rest of the bruises.

But that wasn't all. There was another injury, one she was never to share under any circumstances. She kept it hidden underneath chunks of bracelets and oversized sweater sleeves.

"Is that it?" Sheriff asked. She nodded.

"Oh my. Why didn't I see this before?" Mother Superior whispered, "Those boys will be getting disciplinary action, mark my words."

She hastily arranged her clothes back to their original settings, "But I'm still getting punished,"

"I'm afraid so. You did hurt them,"

"It was self-defense," Sheriff Swan argued.

"Self-defense," scoffed Mother Superior,, "A getaway punch is self-defense. She launched a full on assault still!" That came off quite rude, in Lily's opinion, but she didn't mean for it to be, "Lily, why did you do this? Revenge?"

"They hurt Paige,"she replied, "They can kick, punch, or do whatever they needed to do to hurt me. But when bring other people into this, innocent people, now that's unfair."

"There are other paths you could have taken. Ones that didn't involve violence. You are going to be suspended for three days and I advise taking anger management classes during that time, Lily," The girl nodded, accepting the punishment. "And I know this might be uncomfortable for you, but you need to give a formal apology to those boys. Come,"

Lily begrudgingly left the office along with Mother Superior and the Sheriff. In the hallway were a string of chairs occupied by the seven boys she previously injured. All of them looked up at her as Mother Superior made her stand before them.

She took this as a time to asses the damage. The boys in her class, the ones she punched in the face, had ice packs pressed against their faces. The high school boys seemed to have the worst of it. And Manny clutched his shoulder, the fragment of glass still embedded in. She half expected them to glare at her or make a snide comment, instead, they were terrified.

"I believe there is an apology in order," Upon that, there was a chorus of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," bursting from the boys, taking Lily, Mother Superior, and Sheriff Swan off guard. She was the one who was supposed to apologize to them! Not the other way around. Lily and Swan tried to refrain from laughing at their shameless cries for forgiveness.

Lily didn't know what to do. For months these boys had been giving hell, and for them to admit their mistakes was a big deal. Especially when some of them were high school students. She didn't like how they were looking at her, like she was going to lash out and kill somebody. That only brought on more shame.

But she could use this to her advantage. She had the power to do something huge, something that would forever change the school.

"I expect all of you not to mess with me," her voice shook as she got the words out, "or my friends, or anybody at this school again. Got it?"

As frightened as they were, the boys were hesitant to agree to those conditions, so Sheriff Swan had to slip out her taser out of its holster just a tad. She quirked a knowing eyebrow that said 'You have brains, use them'. Their eyes widened and they nodded eagerly.

Lily crossed her arms and sighed, "In that case, apology accepted,"

* * *

Tigerlily ran as fast as she could, all the while trying to keep the flame on the torch in tact. Dark Hollow was a day journey but that would have taken long. If she had walked, by the time she reached the cursed wood, it would be too late.

The whispers of the trees whipped across her impeding figure, whistling warnings about the place no one dared go. The muddy earth changed, her feet now trampling on the brittle bones of the fallen warriors who had tried to stop the Shadows before her. And when the sun shed a layer of light, dimming while Tigerlily approached the underbrush lining the entrance, it became clear to her where she was. Ahead of her, about three feet away was the fine line between Dark Hollow and the rest of Neverland. The transition was sudden, so she could pinpoint exactly where the light turned into dark. She inched towards it. She was going to break the most important rule her father, the Chief, enforced.

"_Rules are meant to be broken," _Peter's swept through her mind. It had been a phrase he said often. It described him perfectly.

"The things I do for that boy," she grumbled to herself. Then with an uneasy step, she crossed into Dark Hollow.

Her people would gather about the fire and hear tales of terror about this place. And she couldn't justify them, it wasn't as sinister as they said it would be.

It was worse.

The sky was streaked with scarlet and the trees were black and bare, exposing the eerie skeleton beneath. Howls of unknown creatures came from all around. No matter where she went, there was no safe place. There seemed to be a danger hiding, waiting for the right time to attack her when she least expect it. Tigerlily carefully searched for any signs of Shadows. She didn't think it would be hard to locate them, it was just finding Peter's shadow that would be difficult. Like a needle in a haystack, but in this case, the haystack was a sinister forest and the shadow was a needle.

She eventually came to the middle of the wood and decided to stop there. She needed to be organized. Going off on a search without a plan wasn't wise. She set sat on a tree stump, getting tired of holding the torch and the coconut. She analyzed the paths she could take. There was only so many places she could go and still be under the protection of the sun. And there was the factor of time she had to worry about as well.

Then suddenly, there was a great wind. It extinguished her flame, taking the only defense she had against the Shadows. She didn't have the chance to light the coconut yet. Dropping the torch, she held the coconut close to her. That wasn't random gust of wind. They knew she was there. Her bow weighed heavily on her back now, feeling her mother's spirit with her as she let the Shadows reveal themselves.

They came like a tornado, swirling about, sucking the air out of her lungs. She dropped to her knees, clawing at the dirt while trying to regain air in this vacuum. Then she reached for an arrow and swiped at the Shadows. This breaks the storm, sending them spiraling out into the trees, apart for one. This one looked the most human, like a silhouette of a young man. White eyes stared intensely at hers. A Shadow didn't have a feature that could distinguish it from another, This species looked the same, thought the same, moved the same. Never before she saw eyes on one. This one was unlike the other Shadows on Neverland. It had been the Shadow that stole Peter's.

She leapt for it but it flew high to the scarlet sky. It slithered northwards, prompting Tigerlily to follow it, hoping it could lead to Peter's shadow. She ran in the proposed direction and eventually found it with another Shadow.

But wait, the other Shadow was desperately trying to distance itself from the white eyed one. It had to be Peter's shadow. She could tell by its quick movements, using theatrics to dodge 'White Eyes' and even stopping to point and laugh whenever it missed. She sneaked up on them and grabbed at both, dropping the coconut. They felt like cold, thin fabric in her hands as she clasped her fingers onto them. On her right was the Shadow and on her left was Peter's shadow.

She couldn't anchor them to the ground and she found herself rising from the ground. She was airborne, wildly swinging her legs to drag the Shadow and the shadow back down to earth. For floating black masses, they sure were strong. Her foot scrapped the prickly branches of a tree and an idea sparked in her head. Using both feet, she clamped on the branch, serving as an anchor. Sensing the disturbance in flight, White Eyes stopped and decided to make an impromptu landing. It swooped down along with Peter's shadow, who had no choice but to follow, causing Tigerlily to hit the ground, near where she left the coconut. She released White Eyes. Her priority was trapping Peter's shadow and his shadow only. White Eyes stayed hovering over her. Why was he staying?

It was a struggle to lure Peter's shadow. Like its owner, it was free spirited. It required much of her strength to haul it to the coconut. She risked one hand and got the coconut, but then White Eyes interfered. He swept the shadow out of her desperate hands, engaging in a fight. Peter's shadow took the bait and struck at the Shadow. The two kept going at it, tangled up in each other's darkness. Tigerlily spectated, intrigued and bewildered. What would the White Eyes want with Peter's shadow?

She wasn't aware how long the brawl went on, like forever it seemed. Then, White Eyes had the upperhand, landing Peter's shadow in a chokehold, trapping it. Subsequently, the outline of the two masses began to shrink, like they were being fused together. Before Tigerlily's eyes, White Eyes and Peter's shadow fused together until they were one. What came from the merge was a new shadow entirely, having the appearance of Peter's shadow and the faintest outlining of eyes. Tigerlily didn't know what to make of this, this was not common for Shadows to merge and change. But she had to bring back Peter's shadow, changed or not. She would figure out what to do about that later. She lifted the coconut lid The stub of wax staring back at her made her realize she needed a flame. Striking a fire was impossible since it would be blown out by the Shadows. There was no time for it either.

Peter's shadow zipped down at tried to grab her and she ducked. It was trying to steal her shadow. Panic swelled inside her. History was going to repeat itself, it was going to kill her the way her mother was killed. She didn't want to be condemned to the same fate, but how would she escape? She was quick to her feet and launched in a full sprint to out of Dark Hollow.

She was there in four gigantic bounds, the line between Dark Hollow and the rest of Neverland. She raced past all the other Shadows in her way. She was sure she gained a few more pursuiters but they wouldn't touch her once over the line...unless it was already nighttime. At the sight of light, she leapt for it though she didn't land. A cold hand gripped on her foot and dragged her back into Dark Hollow. Turning, she saw Peter's shadow hybrid gazing menacingly at her.

Tigerlily braced for the end, bringing her hands to her face as a last attempt to shield herself. She tried to make peace with death, associating it with her lifelong dream to see her mother. She could finally meet her this way.

Just when she she thought that was it, a miracle happened.

The palms of her hands started to glow, illuminating so magnificently Tigerlily had to clench her eyes shut to not get blinded. She felt the shadow's grip falter and after a while, deeming it safe to open her eyes again, Tigerlily saw Peter's shadow recoil into the bark of tree, cowering from her. The light in her hands remained though not as bright as it was before. She gaped at them and wondered where it had come from. Then, she remembered the shadow and retrieved it, this time, without struggle.

* * *

"Lily! Are you okay?" Lily stomped down the stairs leading to the school's entrance when she heard Paige catching up to her. She had been in the office since lunch, and by the time she got out it was already dismissal time.

"Now you're talking to me?" she said coldly, though with not much venom. She wasn't mad at Paige anymore. It was Mother Superior. A suspension? Now, the Tailors were sure to give her the boot and she would no longer consider Paige as her sister. She took a long breath to compose herself before giving the conversation another shot, "I'm , why don't you go and see how your boyfriend, Henry is doing?"

She marched to the bus stop with Paige tagging along. Kids dispersed to create a path for her, scattering far from the stop sign. Just to get away from the menace, "It's about time we started talking again, after...whatever just happened back there. And he is not my boyfriend!" Her face reddened at the last part.

Lily didn't buy it. "Yeah, okay,"

"You did it," Paige said cheerfully, "You got them all on your own."

"I am more than capable, remember?" she said, quoting her earlier words.

"I know you did it for me. So, thanks," Paige surprised her with a tight hug. Lily wholeheartedly returned it, bringing her arms around her, "They're not going to bother you anymore," she whispered, "I talked to Allison and the girls and I made it clear that no friend of mine is going to treat other people like that- especially you. I don't like it when we fight. I'm sorry. You were right, I didn't do enough to help,"

"No," Lily shook her head and pulled away from her, "You were right. You and Graham were doing the heavy lifting. It was high time that I got my hands dirty, really trying to make things better for myself,"

"Since you went all Jackie Chan back there," she mocked a few karate moves, causing Lily to laugh, "I should never cross you again. Sisters?"

"Sisters,"

"Woah, Lily!" Nic and Ava came rushing from the school.

"Dude, you're a legend!"

"We thought Mother Superior was gonna chew you out big time for that,"

"You were such a badass back there," Ava commented, clinging onto Lily's jacket while she went on excitedly, "You have to show me how you did that backflip while picking up the shard of glass,"

"Just like in that Speed Racer movie we watched," Nic said, "But that was with a gun, unless you know how to use one of those too?"

"No, I don't," Lily took note of the kids' reactions and turned confused, "You guys aren't afraid of me?"

"What? No," The twins said simultaneously, causing them to glare at each other. "What you did was amazing. They unleashed this beast inside. I don't think they'll ever pick on another kid again,"

"You've brought peace to the schoolyard!"

"Thanks guys," Paige elbowed Lily in the stomach, her eyes switching from her sister to the Zimmers. Introductions were in order, "Oh yeah. Paige, this is Nic and Ava Zimmer, they're from the program I go to on Tuesdays," Greetings were exchanged and it seemed like they were going to get along quite well. Lily figured Paige loved them already since she invited them to come over.

"Let's walk. I don't feel like taking the bus today," Paige suggested, knowing the alternative would have made Lily uncomfortable, being surrounded by those kids and all. They took a route past the school and on their way, they spotted Henry on the side of the road. He was in a deep conversation with a strange man on a motorcycle. This man must be new to town, if he were local she would have recognized him.

"Hey, is that Henry?" Ava pointed out.

"Let's call him over," Lily gave Paige a stern look, "Lily, please. He's really nice once you get to know him," she begged. She must really like him, Lily thought bitterly. It didn't help when the Zimmers were backing Paige up.

"He's cool, Lils,"

"Yeah, it would be fun,"

"Fine," she decided finally, "Because I can't take another fight between us,"

"Who's the biker dude?" Nic voiced Lily's thoughts.

"I don't know. He looks suspicious to me," The group ambled by the two, "Hey Henry!" The Mayor's son looked up then whispered something to the man. The man nodded, as if they shared serious business. Then with that, he strapped his helmet on and sped off on his motorcycle.

Henry jogged over to them, "Hey guys,"

"Who's your friend there?" Paige asked.

"That's August. He's a writer,"

"Okay. So, do you guys wanna come over to our place. Our parents rented a bunch of movies we could watch,"

"Sure," he agreed joyously. Lily dreaded to return to the Tailors, fearing they were going to kick her out. But Paige kept assuring her on the way to Drury Lane that it could never happen, she would make sure of it. Paige strung one arm around Henry and the other on Lily, "Come on guys. I've got popcorn with our names on it,"

On that day was the beginning of a friendship like no other.

* * *

"Done,"

Tink had finished sewing Peter's shadow back on. A strange way to stick a shadow on a person, but Tigerlily didn't question it. She had come just in time, but before she could inquire about White Eyes and the shadow fusion, Tink seized the shadow from her hands and began to work. It was her, the fairy, Felix, Devin, and Bae in the treehouse. There was a pregnant pause.

Then Felix piped up, "When do you think he-" A groan broke his sentence.

Their attention went to the boy on the bed, who was just starting to wake. Baelfire took this as an opportunity to leave the treehouse. He wanted to make sure Peter was okay before he returned to the desolation of his cave. In that case, he would avoid an awkward exchange. Tigerlily understood and didn't try to call him back when Peter was fully conscious.

With wobbly confidence, Peter propped himself up from the bed, his mind still reeling from the events leading up to his death. He resumed from his last breath, gasping for the air he couldn't obtain before. His eyes landed upon the people at his bedside and he gathered them all in a big hug.

"You lot are a sight for sore eyes," he breathed in relief. He released his friends, who looked at him with mix happiness and relief. Even Felix, one who nlet out a sigh of relief, "The last time I go treasure hunting, isn't that right, Tigerlily?"

Tigerlily grinned despite herself. She wanted to hear his voice. But then it quickly changed into a frown as she punched him in the face. Tink yelped while Devin winced. She witnessed him die in front of her and he was acting like he came back from picking berries. He had scared her.

Peter shook away the hurt and massaged his jaw, laughing from the good nature of it, "I deserved that."

"No. What you deserve is some rest," Tink ordered lightly. She moved to bring Peter back to a horizontal position but he wouldn't have it. He insisted he was perfectly fine.

"I don't know what you're all worried about. I'm capable of-" He had tried to reach the balcony but his legs were jelly, failing him as he moved. Tigerlily and Devin caught him before he ended up on the floor. They brought him back to the bed, this time with a tight tuck-in to keep him from escaping again.

"Your body needs to regain energy, so you can't go around depleting it all," Tink said, tip-toeing to the window. She was needed back at Pixie Hollow, " Sleep, heal, then play. Got it?"

"Yes mother," he drawled, earning a giggle from the fairy, "Silly boy. I must go. Felix, Devin, take care of him because I doubt he will behave," She shouldered her wings then shrunk into miniscule size. She shot out of the treehouse in a ball of green light.

"Ah," Peter turned to the boys in charge of him, "I'm awfully thirsty. Boys, do you mind fetching me some water?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Felix asked. He prodded Devin out of his seat, both walking to the hatch to get water.

"If it isn't much of a bother," he added sweetly.

"Not at all, your Majesty," With that, the two boys disappeared into the ladder, leaving Tigerlily with Peter. She knelt by his bedside, avoiding eye contact. She was still furious. She focused her attention at wringing out the washcloth instead of the impossible boy next to her.

Peter sensed her displeasure, "Talk to me, please,"

"You almost died," she replied curtly. She was done with the washcloth and laid it across Peter's forehead. A fever might be in his future. This struck Tigerlily as something strange. Peter never got sick, yet he was there with pink cheeks and a climbing temperature.

"But I came back. Let's focus on that,"

She slammed a hand against the headrest and the bed shuddered. "Why must you live like that? Always acting like the unpleasant is not there. How could you forget? How could I forget?" she yelled, "You know what had happened to my mother. And seeing history repeat…" her fire simmered, bringing her voice down to a whisper, "I thought I was going to lose two people the same way."

Peter turned to her direction, gently wrapping his fingers around her tight fist. He looked at her apologetically, "I know. I'm sorry that it had nearly come to that. But you got my shadow back. From Dark Hollow for crying out loud! You didn't let it happen,"

His face contorted into confusion when he noticed something in his other hand: Tigerlily's offering. He uncurled his fingers to find a black stone resting on his palm, "Tigerlily," he breathed, "You kept it?"

She nodded. The stone had been a reminder of the first time they truly became friends. It held much significance to the both of them. 500 years passed since then, so it baffled Peter how she still had it.

"Half a millennia," he whistled in appreciation, "But I can't accept it. You deserve this more than I do. Honestly, you've been the better friend than I am. I built you a treehouse and you raise me from the dead,"

"It is not a competition, Peter,"

"I know. But I still think this stone…" he closed his hand then opened it again. The stone was gone. And with a flick of his wrist, Tigerlily felt a small weight hanging off her neck. A small chain materialized on her neck, the stone hanging from the center, "...best serves as a beautiful necklace for my savior, "

"Peter-"

"Think of it as a 'thank you'," Tigerlily rolled her eyes. Not this again. Peter made it a habit to treat her with lavish presents as a thank you or a peace offering after an argument. She was not that type of girl who cared for jewelry or fine dresses. She was sure he did that to get a rise out of her during those times. But this stone was an exception, and so was this 'thank you'. She traced her fingers along the glossy charm around her neck, absorbing the power and heart that came from that one stone. She was struck speechless.

"Well I'm glad you like it. Wear it and people will recognize how powerful our friendship is, Remember the oath?"

"_Through thick and thin,"_ she said, recalling the promise they made to each other a long time ago, "_No one gets left behind_. I will come back for you and you with me,"

"We have yet to break that promise. You didn't leave me. You found a way to bring me back,"

"How could I?" she said, finally coming around to forgive him. She even returned to their playful exchange as if her negative feelings toward him never existed. This effect he had on her, to make her forget her problems- he knew to work it to his advantage. He could get away with just about anything, "What would the world be without Peter Pan?"

"Rather dull, don't you think?" They laughed at that. Then the sound of a horn resonating through the jungle reached their ears. It was time for Tigerlily to return to her village. She groaned, plucking her bow and quiver from the corner, and ambling towards the hatch.

"Do you have to go?" whined Peter. He cleared his throat, not wanting to sound weak, "I mean..I built this place for you and it seems as though I use it more. Why can't you live here?" He knew very well why she couldn't. Her father would have her head if she spent extra time with the Lost Boys instead of running the tribe.

She shook her head, "Announcement. I cannot be late,"

"Tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

Her head was barely peeking from above the ladder when he spoke. She spared a second to touch the stone once more and give him a fleeting glance, "Always." Then she descended from the treehouse.

**A/N:**

**I didn't expect it to take so long though. I mean nearly 7,000 words. That's the longest chapter I've ever written.**

**Okay, I know what you're all thinking. There's a difference between shadows (lowercase) and Shadows (uppercase). Uppercase refers to those without an owner, having already been pulled from a person's being and continuing this circle of shadow snatching. So a shadow could become a Shadow after a while, a couple days max. By then, the body is far from saving. **

**A Shadow has taken Peter's shadow. **

**Get it? Please do. **

**And so what's up with Tigerlily? What do you think was the ball of light that appeared in her hands? I'm going to introduce another character in the next chapter. I'm sure you already know him...he's quite famous in the Peter Pan universe. **

**And will Lily finally be nice to Henry? **

**I wanted to write a sweet Peter this chapter. It showed how different their relationship was from when they first met. I will be writing what happened in between these last centuries, especially when Peter took Baelfire to Neverland. Yup, like I said, I'm going in a different direction. **

**Thanks for taking time from your oh-so-busy lives to read this little ol' story. It means alot and is deeply appreciated. Don't forget to review, put down what would you like to see. And in regards to SlayGal27, Peter will be coming to Storybrooke, but in the way you expect. But I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a while for that. I mean, who wouldn't want to see Pan in some regular clothes? Walking the streets of Storybrooke? Eating at Granny's? **


End file.
